Tin Soldiers
by StarvingLunatic
Summary: Mai Otome universe. Sequel to Playing with Mercury. Two years have passed since Natsuki has given birth to her and Shizuru's daughter, but the couple haven't retired yet. Natsuki might be on her way to getting fired, though, as she's become very interested in new political and philosophical ideas that may change the world as they know it.
1. New

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

A/N: this is the sequel to Playing with Mercury. This story is different from the others in the series as there is not a lot of romance, but tons of drama. Still, I hope you all enjoy. You can keep up with this story (and lil ol' me) on my FB page, for which there is a link on my profile.

1: New

Natsuki Kruger, principal of Garderobe and Second Column of the Otome, was supposed to be working; a running theme of her adult life. She had a stack of paper in front of her, but had her nose buried in a book; a new development in her life. Her emerald eyes would not, could not leave the pages of the tome. Lately, books had a power over the pale woman, beckoning that she consume and digest every word. Work had taken a backseat to leisurely reading. _I'm going to get fired for this eventually_. Of course, she would not mind being fired since she had one foot out the door for almost two years now.

Emerald eyes glanced up as she heard the door open. Only two people would just barge into her office, but she only wanted to see one. Her wife, Shizuru Kruger, gracefully glided into the office, as she did every time she entered any area. A small smile adorned the Third Column's beautiful face, putting a shine in her wine-colored eyes. Shizuru shook her head when she noticed the book, but she continued smiling.

"My dear, sweet Natsuki, eventually you will have to do some work. You can't just sit here, reading philosophy for the rest of your life," Shizuru gently reprimanded the younger woman.

Natsuki chuckled. "I can try."

"Well, while you are neglecting your duties as headmistress, I do hope your duties as a mother have not been thrown to the wayside as well. Where is our precious child?"

The principal smiled and pushed her chair away from her desk. She pointed down to her lap and there their small two-year-old daughter rested. The child was curled up in a little ball, her long black hair with tawny streaks cascaded over Natsuki's thighs. Shizuru reached down and brushed the hair from their daughter's face, which was a shade lighter than Shizuru's own features.

"You have not been reading Shinobu your radical philosophy books as nap time stories, have you?" There was a small level of accusation in those red eyes that Natsuki was not surprised by.

The principal gave her spouse an innocent smile. "Of course not! I picked this up after Spooky fell out."

Shizuru smiled at the sound of the nickname. It had taken the Third Column a while to adjust to Natsuki referring to their daughter as "Spooky." The moniker had evolved naturally from Natsuki, who had started calling Shinobu the shortened "Bu" only weeks after she was born. Once she realized it sounded like she was trying scare the baby by saying "Bu" about every ten seconds, she wondered if the infant thought she was spooky. For some reason, she voiced aloud that Shinobu was the spooky one and she was "Spooky" ever since.

"Well, I'm happy you at least did that. Shinobu doesn't need her head filled with all of these crazy political ideas," Shizuru pointed out. She had thankfully stopped pointing out that her wife did not need her head filled with those crazy political ideas.

Natsuki shook her head. "I think Spooky would do well to know this stuff. She's from a culture that believes women are beneath men, after all. I'm not raising her on Saxas beliefs, of course, but she'll hear about it and I want her to be able to argue anyone into the ground about how untrue that is."

Shizuru sighed. "I will not let you politicize our toddler. If you even try, I promise I will tell Nao to stop bringing you these troublesome books."

Natsuki smiled. "I'm sorry. If you asked me ten years ago that I'd be this interested in philosophy, I'd have laughed in your face. But, so much of it makes sense to me. It reminds me of when I used to grumble about being treated differently from my brothers all because I was a girl. As I got older, I realized how women were treated in Saxas, I really hated it. We're not worth less than men and should not be treated as such. People of lower classes shouldn't be treated differently just because of their class or birth because they're still people."

Shizuru smiled, too, and caressed her wife's cheek. "I really can't believe how political you've become beyond your job."

"I'm sorry for ranting again. I know you don't care for the politics or new social philosophies."

"It's not that I don't care, beloved. My thinking on the matter is much simpler than yours and I know it has to do with growing up as a noble and equal to any male at my status. I've never been made to feel different because of my gender. I've also never been made to feel lesser because of my gender. I've always been made to believe I can do anything if I put my mind to it while you have always been told you can't do something for whatever reason. I'm sure that can make one miserable."

Natsuki nodded. "But, this is why I like this New Philosophy. The idea that people aren't born into these unmovable stations in life and aren't born into these inferior roles all rings true. If I had been as mentally and physically inferior and only capable of motherhood as Saxas culture dictates, I never would have made a good Otome or principal or diplomat. Hell, I'd have never opened up to the idea of loving you, not just because you're a woman, but also the daughter of a mere viscount. Clearly, people are capable of so much more than most societies want to acknowledge and people deserve the chance to be able to shine."

"I know, beloved. Please, just be careful. I know you speak your mind, but many of the Otome and their Masters aren't happy to know you support these new ideas. I don't want them to trouble you because of your thoughts."

Emerald eyes rolled and Natsuki snorted. "They're scared of upsetting the status quo."

"Well, some of this New Philosophy is very hostile toward Otome."

"Of course, it is. Otome are a mark of the upper class, the Privileged. They're the very people that want everyone else to believe you're born into the station you're in and you need to accept that, so people won't strive for more in their lives and the Privileged get to stay in power. They want everyone to think this is the way things were made and this is why the way things will stay. That's just bullshit."

"Natsuki!" the reprimand was hissed. Crimson eyes glanced down at their sleeping daughter.

Natsuki winced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that." She was not supposed to curse in front of Shinobu. Technically, she was not supposed to curse in front of Shizuru either. Sometimes, her passions got away from her and swear words went flying when that happened.

Shizuru patted her beloved on the head and leaned down to kiss her. Natsuki accepted the sweet gesture of forgiveness and finally put her book down. Careful to not wake Shinobu, Natsuki reached for Shizuru and pulled her into a light hug. She pressed her cheek into Shizuru's stomach while the tawny-haired woman wrapped her arms around Natsuki's head.

"This is my philosophy in life, Natsuki. It's very simple and I know you're not surprised to find it devoid of politics. I am happiest in your arms with our daughter within reach and I need nothing more. I'm simple like that. Wanting beyond this to me is the very first ingredient for disaster. But, again, I have not been subjected to the same treatments as you and many others."

The younger woman chuckled. "I think your philosophy is fine. I would be happy with that, too, but I would think about what others were going through for a time."

Shizuru smiled and caress Natsuki's head."Your job has made you far more political than you'd care to admit. It's rather ironic considering your job is now suffering because of your interest in these New Politics. You really should get to work."

The ebony-haired Otome frowned. "How about we take Spooky to her appointment together?"

"My love, you really can't continue to neglect your work like this. You'll end up stripped of your duties as headmistress."

Natsuki sighed and gave a short snort. "I honestly don't care. They've been hounding me since I came back, knowing I'm on borrowed time anyway. Now, they're getting scared because I read up on the New Politics and they think I'm going to stop the Otome program, even though there's no evidence of that. It's all just a headache in the making and they'd really be sparing me of if they did fire me."

"Some of our peers just remember how much you _didn't_ want to be an Otome when you were younger and now they hear about your interest in these things that are somewhat against Otome, making them get the wrong idea. Put it out of your head. Now, if we both take Shinobu to the doctor, you have to promise you'll come back here and do some work."

Natsuki groaned as if that was a punishment worse than death. The sound did not move her wife, who seemed hell bent on making sure she remained the responsible one. Just for a while, she would like to live what she mentally referred to as the "Shizuru-lifestyle," but for that to happen, she would need to love everything that she did and her cards just were not dealt that way.

"Fine! But, only if we get lunch after," the headmistress conceded.

Shizuru smiled. "Of course, beloved. Now, let's go. We don't want to keep Sensei waiting."

Natsuki nodded and stood up, gathering the dozing child in her arms. Shizuru took hold of the little girl as soon as Natsuki was on her feet. Natsuki did not protest.

"Ara ara, what did you do to our rambunctious little girl for her to sleep so hard?" Shizuru inquired as she shifted their daughter in her arms. Shinobu did not move at all.

"I can't give away my trade secrets. You have your boring ways and I have my awesome, super fun ways," the younger woman chuckled.

Shizuru only rolled her eyes. The family exited the office and Natsuki let her assistant, a Pearl that Miss Maria assigned to her to spy as for as Natsuki was concerned, know that she was stepping out for a couple of hours. She missed her old assistant, who had graduated last year and who had been an ally for her. Her new assistant reported her reading material and rapidly declining work ethic to Miss Maria almost hourly at this point. The ancient Otome now made it a point to remind Natsuki of her place, responsibility, and duty at least once a day. It was in one ear and out the other at this point, though. _Maybe the New Politics and New Philosophy are screwing me up_. Still, she did not care.

-8-8-8-8-

The Chief Medical Officer of Garderobe, Yohko Helene, was seating at her desk, with her blue eyes fixed on her glowing computer screen. It was the position the Kruger family typically found her in when they came in for Shinobu's monthly checkups. Shinobu, having woken up on the short trip to the infirmary, charged the doctor.

"Sensei!" the child hooted as her little, sandaled feet patted on the hard floor.

Yohko turned and smiled as the toddler hit her knees. Chuckling, she bent down to pick the rather small girl up. She had expressed to the parents that Shinobu's size was probably linked to her premature birth, but Shizuru liked to tease Natsuki and just point out that Shinobu was from a small family. The girl's size did not matter, anyway; they loved her no matter what and just wanted to make sure that she was healthy.

"I wish your mom was always so happy to see me when she was carrying you," Yohko remarked as she tapped Shinobu on the nose, earning a giggle from the child.

Natsuki glared at the doctor. She had not had a good pregnancy and was not a good patient in general. She doubted that she would ever be happy to see Doctor Helene ever again thanks to the experience. Of course, she supposed that some of that was due to Tomoe Marguerite, who had made her pregnancy exponentially worse by kidnapping, beating, and drugging her. Yohko had actually saved her life and saved Shinobu's life, which Natsuki was eternally grateful for. But, her body always remembered the pain she had gone through when she saw Yohko.

"Didya give Momma the jelly beans when you saw her?" Shinobu inquired with wide-eyed innocence shining in her emerald and ruby eyes.

The doctor laughed. "No, but maybe I should have."

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Jelly beans aren't my favorite like yours, Spooky."

"But, we always eat the jelly beans together, Mom, even when Kaa-san tells us not to," Shinobu pointed out.

"Oh, really?" Crimson eyes were now burning a hole in Natsuki.

The principal winced. "Spooky, what's the point of us having a secret if you're going to tell your Okaasan what I told you not to tell her?"

Shinobu had the decency to look sheepish and she covered her mouth with both hands. Shizuru gave Natsuki one of those "we'll discuss this later" looks that made the pale woman gulp. The conversation thankfully died a quiet death as Yohko walked with Shinobu to the examination room. She lifted the toddler up and turned away to gather what she needed while Shizuru divested the child of her elaborate, high-collared, small-buttoned shirt.

Shinobu watched in awe as her mother's fingers made short work of the tiny buttons. In public, the mothers had learned it was best to dress their daughter in clothing that she could not manipulate lest they discover her streaking down a hallway. Natsuki insisted that Shinobu got her nudist and exhibitionist qualities from Shizuru and that was pretty much confirmed by Shizuru's parents. Of course, Natsuki was eventually mortified by finding out that she used to try to strip at that age, too, when her parents saw Shinobu's embarrassing hobby. Thankfully, their regular family doctor assured them that Shinobu's behavior was a normal part of child development and she would eventually grow out of it.

"All right, Shinobu, let's see if everything is still as it should be and going the way it should," Yohko said with a smile as she pressed the cold stethoscope to the little girl's bare chest.

Shlnobu hissed from the feel and clutched her Kaa-san's hand briefly. Shizuru held the girl for the whole general check up. Natsuki then had to hold Shizuru as Yohko drew blood from the girl. The first time Yohko and their family doctor stuck needles into Shinobu with her parents present, she had barely been a month old and Shizuru very nearly fainted as the baby cried out. Natsuki was certain that the needles bothered Shizuru more than they did Shinobu.

Natsuki doubted that Shizuru would ever get used to seeing their daughter stuck because drawing blood from Shinobu was a monthly affair and Shizuru trembled every time. Shinobu got blood drawn so often because she had very small traces of nanomachines in her body. Yohko, even though she had never seen anything like it, assured the parents that the machines would go away. She had been telling them that for two years now. Sometimes, the levels were lower, but they mostly stayed the same. On a few rare occasions, they were higher, which seemed to utterly baffle the Chief medical officer.

So far, the nanomachines did not seem to be doing anything. They were not active and they did not bother Shinobu's development. For now, they were perfectly harmless and everyone hoped that they would stay that way.

Yohko could only assume the nanomachines entered Shinobu's body during Natsuki's pregnancy when she had a spike in her nanomachine levels. The spike had saved her life after Tomoe had kidnapped, drugged, and tortured her. They also endangered the baby, threatening to destroy the fetus because it was viewed as a foreign entity. An emergency c-section brought Shinobu into the world over two months too soon, but saved her life.

"Such a brave little girl," Yohko smiled as she pulled the needle from Shinobu's arm.

"I'm brave like Kaa-san," the child declared, not noticing that her Kaa-san looked paler than her Momma.

Natsuki chuckled and patted the toddler's head. "You sure are." Yohko arched an eyebrow to that, which the principal noticed. "She thinks I'm boring because I sit at a desk, but her Kaa-san is a Meister Otome, who fights bad guys."

Shizuru still went out on missions, especially when Nao began to decline going for her because of dates with Kenta Kruger, Natsuki's older brother. Shizuru often told Shinobu watered down versions of her adventures. Shinobu thought that her "Kaa-san" was a superhero.

The doctor nodded. "You know your momma fights bad guys, too," she informed Shinobu.

The child twisted her face, as if she did not comprehend what Yohko was going on about. "Momma only reads. She reads the bestest, though!"

Natsuki smiled, even though she had hopes that she would somehow be the "cool parent." But, it was hard to be cool from behind a desk with a stack of paperwork. She did not begrudge Shizuru's status as the cool parent, though.

"Best," Shizuru corrected the child.

"Right. Momma reads the best stories," Shinobu proclaimed.

Yohko chuckled and glanced at the principal. "I hope it's nothing too advanced."

Natsuki groaned while emerald eyes rolled. "Why does everyone seem to think I'm reading egalitarian philosophy to Spooky?"

A frown settled on the doctor's face. "The fact that you refer to it as 'egalitarian' while most others call it radical, extremist, anarchy, and plenty of other less friendly terms could mean trouble for you."

Natsuki shrugged. "Says the woman that borrowed my John Paine books. Garderobe doesn't own my mind. I'm entitled to my thoughts."

Yohko snickered and shook her head. "There's that radicalism already. The New Politics have corrupted you," she teased the younger woman.

Natsuki snorted. "Just give Spooky her jelly beans. Her Kaa-san owes me some ice cream."

"Jelly beans!" Shinobu cheered, throwing her arms up and twisting around to see where she knew Yohko kept her candy.

With her bare back to her parents, Natsuki decided to play with her daughter and poke her strange birthmark – a circle with a sharp tail at the top and a dot in the center. Strangely enough, Mai told them that Mikoto had the same mark, but in a different place. Shinobu was very ticklish in the spot and practically jumped out of skin when Natsuki touched it.

"Momma!" Shinobu shouted with a giggle.

"Natsuki," Shizuru scolded her spouse.

Natsuki offered them both an innocent smile. "What?"

Shinobu was able to let it go as the doctor handed her a small pouch of candy. "Thank you, Yohko-sensei!"

"You're welcome," Yohko replied. "I'll call you with the results as soon as I'm done analyzing everything."

Natsuki nodded while Shizuru redressed Shinobu. The Kruger family then bid the doctor farewell. Shizuru led them outside with Shinobu bouncing around their legs and enjoying her candy. Typically, Shizuru would not allow Shinobu sweets if she already had her jelly beans, but the ice cream was really a treat for Natsuki to get her out of the office.

"So, Natsuki only reads," Shizuru said with a smile as she took hold of her wife's hand. "If only Shinobu knew."

Natsuki chuckled. "I can tell her if you like."

Shizuru balked. "Please don't. I don't want her trying anything."

"I'll let her think you're the cool parent for a little while longer. Besides, you're retiring in a couple of years, anyway."

Her grip on Natsuki's hand tightened. "I feel like they're trying to hold onto me longer."

"They can only hold you if you let them and I know you won't. For some strange reason, you want to have a baby and I know you don't want to be on Otome when you do it."

"No, I can't. Not after we almost lost Junior," Shizuru remarked with a smile, nodding toward their daughter.

Natsuki laughed. "You know you just encourage my brothers' collective stupidity when you call her that."

"I think it's cute. I always wanted a mini-Natsuki, too."

"Until her first motorcycle accident or until her cousins convince her to do backflips from high places. Then you'll be cursing the fact that she's like me at all."

Shizuru smiled anyway. "As long as she's healthy and happy, I'm always happy."

As soon as they came to the front gate, Shizuru called Shinobu to them. She picked the toddler up, even though Shinobu prefered walking on her own. Windbloom was not a safe place for a child to walk alone anymore. Crime rates were on the rise, as were unemployment rates. A mine that had employed thousands had gone dry over a year ago and now tempers ran hot while the city decayed, rotting in on itself.

"This place looks more depressing than the last time I was out here," Natsuki noted. The buildings in even "nice" parts of town looked grim.

"Deeper into downtown, buildings are literally crumbling," Shizuru told her spouse. She ventured into town more often than Natsuki to see what was happening in person. Natsuki had to rely on television and newspapers to stay informed.

"They don't show that on TV. They show the charity lines to show how people are helping the less fortunate. I never thought Mashiro would figure out propaganda," Natsuki said with an unamused chuckle.

"What's poop-a-gana?" Shinobu asked curiously.

"It's when something doesn't tell the whole truth," Shizuru explained.

Mismatched eyes went wide and the toddler gasped. "Telling lies? But, telling lies is bad!"

"Yes, it is," Natsuki assured the child, feeling just a bit like a hypocrite. Being involved in politics meant lying, but she did not want Shinobu to know that. So, hopefully she would be retired and out of politics by the time Shinobu figured that out.

"I don't lie," Shinobu boasted proudly, causing her parents to smile.

"How can downtown be crumbling? It's only been a year since the mine dried up," Natsuki pointed out.

"Downtown has been hurting for almost five years. The mine has been producing less and the people that live in that area were the first let go. Unemployment has been high for almost eight years. It's tragic," Shizuru sighed.

Natsuki frowned. "That one single mine can't be the only piece of industry in the country. There has to be other enterprises, other industries, jobs, something."

"You could ask my father about it. Our county still seems to going strong, but that's compared to the rest of the country."

Natsuki did not doubt that. While Shizuru's father was annoying, Dante Viola was a wise and shrewd man, which his daughters inherited. She hoped that Queen Mashiro was getting help from him or some other intelligent nobleman to try to bring the country out of the depression that it seemed to be sinking into.

"I'm not talking to your father. You know what he did the last time we saw him," Natsuki grumbled, folding her arms across her chest, even though she was still holding her wife's hand.

Shizuru laughed and leaned over to kiss a pale cheek. "He was only playing. He didn't mean any harm."

Natsuki only frowned, which deepened as she came to their destination. "Aw, man! C'mon!" Her favorite ice cream shop, an oasis in the desert as far as she was concerned, was closed. Worse yet, there was an "out of business" sign on the door. "How could this place get closed down? They make the best ice cream in the whole city!"

"It's closed?" Shinobu pouted along with her momma.

Shizuru smiled and patted Natsuki's hand before caressing Shinobu's head. "Come. I know of another place with ice cream."

"Yay!" the child cheered, but her momma kept pouting.

"It's not the same. This was the spot," Natsuki sighed, motioning to the closed shop. "It was our spot," she moaned with her head down.

Shizuru pulled her spouse closer. "Beloved, we have many spots. Some will stand the test of time and some will not. We'll go on, though."

The shorter woman shrugged, but deep down she was torn apart that a place she used to drag Shizuru to on dates was gone. They had a lot of innocent good times in the little ice cream parlor, which had always intrigued her because her home county did not have individual ice cream shops. She would definitely miss _their_ ice cream parlor.

As the family continued on, Natsuki studied the area, seeing people in rags crouched in the dark corners of the neighborhood. Minutes later, though, the scenery changed and seemed to get brighter. It was not nearly as nice as Natsuki recalled, but it definitely was doing better than where they just left. She could be halfway certain that they would not be mugged at least.

"Wait, what the hell is this thing?" Natsuki asked as they walked by a fenced off area.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru hissed because of her spouse's casual swearing.

Natsuki did not respond as an electronic bulletin answered her question. Queen Mashiro's face appeared. She had grown only slightly as she entered adulthood. Natsuki could already guess that she was still impulsive and immature as a monarch. She doubted Arika was much help to Mashiro considering how immature she knew Arika was.

"People of Windbloom, I know that times have been hard and depressing and for that I'm truly sorry. I hope that everything will be better when Fantasy Land amusement park opens in a couple of months. We can all have fun!" the image of Mashiro announced with a bright, innocent grin and then images of what would be in the park floated across the screen.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Natsuki said and her jaw was practically on the floor. Shizuru was so stunned that she did not even chide her wife for swearing.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Natsuki is forced to do some work while Shizuru and Shinobu visit Shizuru's family.

A/N: this story could use a beta, which I don't have, but would like. If you want to beta for this story, show me your work using this chapter and email the beta'ed version to me ... well, PM me for my email address since FF seems to have a problem with me putting my email address here. Thank you for your time.


	2. Political

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

A/N: I never did get a beta, so all mistakes are my own, grammar, spelling, consistency, and otherwise. Bear with me, people, please.

2: Political

Natsuki groaned as she stared at the stack of work in front of her. Miss Maria was standing in front of her, looming over her to make sure she actually did her work rather get lost in one of her many books. Making matters worse, Miss Maria had taken her latest book and threatened to burn it if she did not focus.

"You shouldn't be reading this garbage anyway," Miss Maria huffed, hitting the book against her palm. She frowned down Natsuki, which the pale woman was used to.

The principal frowned right back. "It's not garbage. Have you even read it or anything like it?" She hated that so many Otome judged the New Philosophy without reading any of it, just going off ideas that they heard from other people. Reading it was moving as far as Natsuki was concerned and it was gratifying to know that she was not the only person who had such thoughts about the world, politics, and society.

"I've read material like it. This isn't the first time these so-called New Politics or New Philosophy have come around. These ideas only serve to upset the balance of the world. Everyone has a role to play and a station in life." As far as Miss Maria was concerned the books and ideas were only rotting Natsuki's brain and making her lose sight of her true calling.

"Everyone should have a chance to rise above their so-called station if they're capable. If I listened to people like you, I'd be married to some bastard and being called worthless for refusing to have his kids. Imagine how many gifted Otome are out there, but will never be realized because the girls are poor. Worse still, imagine the brilliant engineers, doctors, scientists, and others that are out there, but won't be able to show their talents because they're peasants," Natsuki said in a hard tone.

Before Natsuki had ever read any piece of the New Philosophy, it had bothered her that some people would never be able to shine because of their birth. In her home country, Saxas, she wondered how much wisdom and talent they lost just because it was locked in someone that happened to be female or a member of the lower classes. When she left her home, she was pleased to see that the female prejudice seemed to be something that was mostly practiced in her part of the world, but the thing with the lower classes was almost universal. As she learned more about other countries, she found in some places the lower classes were practically considered less than human. It brought her back to thinking about Saxas and how she just wished things were different everywhere because everyone deserved a fair shot at life.

Miss Maria sucked her teeth. "Peasants, really? Headmistress Kruger, when was the last time you saw a peasant?"

"Those guys that don't carry titles and don't own land, those are peasants. I don't give a damn what fancy words you and everybody else wants to call them, but they're peasants. These are the people that can't afford to send their kids to college, the people that if the price of grain went up just a little, they'd starve to death. These are the people that are one paycheck shy of being homeless or are homeless. They exist. Are they there because they chose to be?"

"We can't all be at the top."

Natsuki snorted. _What a bunch of bullshit_. She hated when people assumed that everyone wanted to be at the top. Some people just wanted to be comfortable. Hell, some people just wanted to make sure they could feed their children everyday and it was not because they were not trying. It was because in society they were only allowed to go so far, and it was never far enough.

"Right. Those at the top need someone to look down on, after all. Why do so many countries insist on keeping the bottom at the bottom? What's being lost down there?" the younger woman retorted.

Miss Maria sighed and shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Do you honestly believe that if a person is intelligent, talented, and driven she wouldn't rise to the top on her own? We've seen it before."

"A small percentage and only in certain areas, but how much intelligence and talent is out there right now working in a mine to feed her brothers and sisters? Or hasn't learned to read because her family needs her to work? How many are working on a failing farm right now and can't get away to prove themselves?"

"Then they don't have the drive and are where they're supposed to be. Natsuki, you should put these ideas out of your mind. Many of the Otome and their masters have dubbed the New Politics poison and distrust will soon show. They will strip you of your position. The Otome Council is of like mind on this. This can end very badly for you."

Pale hands went up and rubbed Natsuki's face. The Otome truly seemed to want her mind. She was not to be allotted her thoughts because people feared that she was going to dismantle their whole machine. She doubted that she had that power, even though she had always had a slight distain for Otome, but even that was hardly a secret. She guessed that they felt threatened now because other people were showing distaste for the Otome.

The Otome had come to represent a separation of the classes, the haves and the have-nots. They were a threat hanging over the heads of any average person that wished to have some equality. They were the soldiers of the Privileged, the jailers of the oppressed.

"Leave on your own terms, not theirs. You're going to retire soon and you have a damn fine legacy. Don't let them taint it," Miss Maria implored her.

"Spooky is my legacy and they won't taint that," Natsuki stated.

"Rarely does a person get to leave her mark on a whole institution. You've done a lot for the Otome program. It would be a shame for you to be taken in with these New Politics and allow yourself to be remembered for that."

The principal scowled. "I'm not ashamed for thinking people deserve more. My beliefs have even shown in my policies. Have I not sponsored more Otome than any other headmistress? Given more little girls a chance from backgrounds that were below the peerage?"

"No one had a problem with that because you were supporting the program. No one realized why you were doing it either. Just do your job, Principal, for the short time you'll be here."

Natsuki sighed, knowing Miss Maria only said such things because she cared in her own stern and frightening way. Natsuki had been one of her biggest surprises. She never thought that the delinquent princess from a backwater country could make it through the Otome program, let alone hold the top spot, become a column, and eventually principal. Hell, Natsuki was a bit surprised herself, but it happened.

Natsuki silently admitted to herself that Otome program had made her what she was. Had she never came, she would have more than likely carried on through her life as a big kid. She never would have done what her parents wanted, namely settle down with a prince and bear his children. She would have wasted her days, riding her motorcycle or ATV through her country's many forests and never thought about being responsible. But, that did not change how she felt about the Otome program as a whole. The concept of the Otome would probably always bother her, especially since it could do a lot of good without turning girls into killing machines, who might one day actually have to fight a friend, a fellow Otome, to the death. She doubted the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction would hold every country in the Program forever.

"I'm still entitled to my beliefs," Natsuki muttered.

"You're also entitled to go this work, so get to it," Miss Maria ordered. "Your work ethic and productivity have been rather poor lately."

"I used to be so much better with all of the paperwork," Natsuki mumbled as she grabbed a folder. _I used to so much better at this job actually_. She was losing her drive for the work and it probably had to do with her interest in the New Philosophy. There was also the desire to be with her daughter. "Will Shizuru be by with Spooky later?"

"I've instructed Shizuru-san to remain away until the work day is over and she will do so every day until these papers are off of you desk."

The ebony-haired Otome groaned and began going through the ton of paperwork. Most of it was standard things – school supply requests, student reprimand forms, student applications, countries requesting Otome, and formal retirement slips for a couple of Otome, from Natsuki's graduating class oddly enough. _Are the gods trying to tell me something?_ That question flew from her mind as she came across a folder from the First Column, Sara Gallagher.

"What the hell?" the pale woman muttered as she flipped through the papers, her brow wrinkling in thought.

"Is everything all right?" Miss Maria inquired with an arched eyebrow.

Emerald eyes did not leave the folder. "That remains to be seen."

Sara Gallagher was reporting on rumors about anti-Otome technology in the making. Subconsciously, Natsuki reached up and touched her GEM. She had a blurry memory of Tomoe Marguerite disabling it. The memory had never fully come back, like much of that time. Tomoe had pumped her full of so many drugs that it was amazing she came out remembering who she was, never mind what happened during the kidnapping and torture parts of their time together.

The report on the anti-Otome technology was not very detailed, but there was enough for Natsuki to figure out it was not a country working on it. Gallagher indicated that it seemed to be a group, who moved between a few underdeveloped countries to remain undetected. The First Column dubbed the group the Mad Scientists, having heard the name whispered in the underground before she actually found out about what it did.

"Are there more reports from Gallagher-san?" Natsuki wondered as she flipped through the now small pile of work. None of that was from the First Column. "Fuck," she hissed, ignoring Miss Maria's stern glare. She was all too aware that sometimes it was impossible to believe that she held negotiations with kings and other heads of state.

"I hope you tone this crass language down around your daughter," Miss Maria sniffed. "Now, what is the crisis?"

"The First Column has been tracking a group that is possibly making anti-Otome weapons. She's pretty certain that they're making progress, but there's not another report from her," the headmistress explained while opening another folder.

"What evidence does she have?"

"It's just suspicions and rumors right now along with some vague descriptions on how the weapons would work, but it does go along with a report from the Fifth Column. She just reported that an area that was being investigated for Ancient technology was looted and also that some Otome technology had been stolen from a while back. Nothing ever came of the Otome technology being stolen, but she's still looking into it."

Miss Maria nodded. "So, you think there's a connection?"

"If not, it's one hell of a coincidence. She said the site was stripped of artifacts that had not been tagged of categorized. All she could get was descriptions from scientists that saw the objects and a few pictures."

"And there are no suspects?"

"Blythe-san thinks it might be an inside job. She says everything that was taken was unmarked. The thieves knew what hadn't been categorized and formally documented."

"What are you going to do?" the ancient Otome inquired.

"The only thing we can do now – investigate. We don't have much to go on, but I want to nip this before it grows into something bigger and out of control," Natsuki answered while reaching for her phone. As she worked, she noticed the minute, proud smile on Miss Maria's face.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru was visiting her family with Shinobu in tow. The toddler ran around the Viola family estate as if it was the only thing she could do, at least until her grandmother scooped her up. Shinobu giggled as Shizuru's mother, a former Otome named Shizue, tickled the little girl's belly. Shizue's crimson eyes sparkled as her granddaughter tried to wiggle away from her.

"She's getting so big," Daphne, Shizuru's little sister, commented from her space on a designer sofa in the den area of their home.

"Yeah, you're going to have to have another one soon," her father, Count Dante Viola, remarked with a laugh. His daughters got their coloring from him, except for the eyes. He liked to say that he had strong genes, if only to annoy his wife. She always countered that they got their best feature from her.

Shizuru smiled. "We will soon. I want to retire first, so I don't have to worry about the nanomachines and the baby." After what Natsuki and Shinobu had gone through, she did not want to take any chances with the nanomachines possibly attacking a child growing inside of her.

"When are you retiring? Don't let them pull you back in if you're ready to be done. The Council will beg, borrow, and steal to keep a good Otome for as long as they can," Shizue warned her eldest daughter.

"They need me right now," Shizuru said.

"They'll tell you that until the day you die. Live your life, Shizuru. You only get one," her mother pointed out.

"You're right. Now would probably be the best time, too. Natsuki is getting pressured from all sides because of her fascination with the New Philosophy. There are some parties that may try to drive her out," Shizuru sighed, shaking her head.

Dante chuckled. "Nervous about someone changing the old Guard, huh? I've read some of the New Philosophy. It makes sense to me, too, if not borrowing a bit from the Age of Advanced Thinking."

"Maybe if I tell Natsuki that, she'll drop her fascination. She still hasn't forgiven you for the last time she saw you."

The Viscount flashed an innocent smile that no one in his family bought for a second. "She's still sour over that? I thought she was a better sport. I hope Shinobu doesn't take after her."

Shinobu seemed to have a personality that was uniquely her with an amalgamation of her parents coming out on occasions. She did have the Kruger glare, or at least the two-year-old version of it, and she used it typically when the word "bedtime" was uttered. She could be wild, but without peers, it usually just took the form of running and jumping everywhere. Occasionally, she would cuddle, but sometimes she just wanted to be left alone. She was independent, but would accept help if she really needed it.

"Otou-san, that's not very nice. I would love a mini-Natsuki," Shizuru said with a thoughtful smile. She was hoping for one with Shinobu, but she was would be just as happy if the toddler was just, well … Shinobu.

"Then you should get on it," Shizue pointed out with a chuckle. Shinobu finally managed to wiggle away from her, having a lot of practice in escaping tickle torture thanks to her mothers. Once on the floor, the two-year-old was off to inspect all of the little breakable items in the room.

The eldest daughter nodded. "Soon." She turned her attention to her father. "I've been meaning to ask you if you know anything about this amusement park Queen Mashiro was planning to build. Natsuki and I could hardly believe our eyes."

"Isn't it just about the stupidest thing you've ever seen? The country is on the verge of a depression and she's making amusement parks!" Daphne surprisingly huffed. The outrage in her wine-colored eyes was close to burning.

Shizuru actually blinked from the shock. Daphne was about as political as Shizuru was. They had been trained and could navigate the waters with the best of them, but did not keep up with them in their personal lives.

"Calm down, Daphne-chan. My understanding of it is that she thinks it will cheer people up," Dante explained, waving his youngest daughter down. "Of course, I don't make it a point to be at Court anymore unless absolutely necessary, so I could be wrong."

"Don't you think the late King would want you to help guide his successor, Tou-san?" Daphne inquired.

Dante frowned, a very rare expression. He had been a close friend of the late King, Bruce Blan de Windbloom, even though he was older than the late monarch by a few years. He did not talk about it much, but there were pictures of him as a teen with a young Prince Bruce. Shizuru doubted they had a falling out, but her father just did not talk about the past.

"I thought Queen Mashiro was getting better at handling her responsibilities," Shizuru commented.

Dante sighed. "She's trying, but sometimes, she just falls back into this childish way of thinking. She knows the country is doing poorly, so she wants to fix it by making other people feel better. Deeper thinking, she also knows jobs are needed, so she figures people can get jobs at the amusement park and maybe it'll bring in tourism."

Shizuru nodded. "All right, so she did put some thought into it." She had faith in Mashiro as she knew from talks with Arika, the young Queen was doing her best. It was hard for Mashiro to not do her best with Arika in her corner, cheering her on and pushing her through. Unfortunately, sometimes her best still looked like the work of a spoiled brat.

"Except not enough thought to realize it was a stupid idea," Daphne huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, what would you do, Daphne-chan?" the Otome asked curiously. She would like to learn more about this new side of her sister.

"First, get rid of the yes-men that follow the Queen around. She needs to realize those nobles smiling in her face are only using her. After that, she needs to try to get some business in our country beyond mining. Gods forbid someone build a factory or something!" Daphne threw her hands up.

"Dear little sister, what has you so fired up?" Shizuru asked, leaning closer to her sibling.

"I've been taking her to volunteer and she's been speaking with people in the soup kitchen," Shizue explained before snatching Shinobu back into her arms and tickling her. The toddler squealed and giggled as she tried to escape.

Shizuru nodded. She was aware that her mother volunteered in her free time. Shizue liked to keep busy since she was no longer an Otome and her children were grown. Shinobu was beginning to take up her time now and she loved it. Shizuru wondered if Daphne would begin filling their mother's space at her volunteering centers since she sounded so passionate about things now.

"Do you know how poor people are in this country?" Daphne asked as if she could not believe it herself.

"I have a vague idea," Shizuru said to humor her sister. It was nice to see Daphne fired up about something and there were much worse things she could do than to try to be a champion for the poor.

"Unemployment has been on the rise since the King died, but has shot up to almost forty-five percent since the mine dried up."

Shizuru's tawny eyebrows curled up. "Forty-five percent?" She had not known it had gotten so high. She might need to catch up on the outside world as she was letting her work and her daughter take up most of her time. The country seemed to be in worse shape than she had thought.

"Yes, it's ridiculous and this Queen is going to build an amusement park? Are you kidding me?" Daphne scowled.

"Calm down, Daphne-chan," Shizue ordered as she released her granddaughter into the wild. Shinobu waddled toward the French doors that led to the garden. They were closed, but they all knew Shinobu would try to open them for several minutes before eventually asking her mother for help.

"I just think it's crazy. Don't you think it's crazy?" Daphne asked her older sister, crimson eyes imploring Shizuru for her opinion.

"I think the Queen is barely older than you are and she has yes-men chirping in her ears. Not to mention, the person that she trusts the most is rather idealistic. I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't Arika's idea," Shizuru chuckled. She made mental note to speak to the Windbloom Otome and find out just what the Queen was up to.

"She's older than I am, so she should know better," Daphne stated.

"She's a bit more sheltered than you are," the elder sister argued.

Shizuru's eyes drifted to Shinobu, who was doing her best to reach the door handle. After she fell on her pampered butt a couple of times, she scanned the room and tried to pull a heavy wooden chair over. _Perhaps this independence streak comes from Natsuki. Her desire to solve her own problems seems very much like her Momma_.

"It would seem everyone around me has gotten political and all I really care for is spending time with my family," Shizuru muttered with a small smile.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Dante assured her with a smile of his own. "In uncertain times, you should be able to depend on family, and there should be no greater joy in your life than watching Shinobu grow up."

Two other sets of crimson eyes went to Shinobu. The toddler frowned at the unmoving chair and then looked around for something else. Nothing caught her eye, so she turned to her Kaa-san. She charged to Shizuru.

"Kaa-san, outside, please?" the child requested, pointing over to the doors.

Shizuru smiled. "Yes, we'll go outside. Maybe Ojichan will run with you through the garden."

"Yeah! C'mon, Ojichan!" Shinobu charged her grandfather, taking his hand to help him up.

Shizuru opened the doors and her daughter took off like a shot. Dante and Daphne followed the giggling girl. Shizuru stood in the doorway with her mother. Shizue smiled at her child.

"Motherhood continues to look good on you," the former Otome commented.

Shizuru chuckled. "I love it. I love her. She's beautiful."

"And you want another one," her mother pointed out.

The tawny-haired Otome put a hand on her stomach. "My dream for over ten years has been to carry Natsuki's baby. I have to have her baby, Okaa-san. I have to."

"Then have her baby."

"I have to retire first. I can't have all if these nanomachines in my body. Natsuki went through so much with Shinobu, partially because of her nanomachines. Shinobu still has to see the doctor monthly because of the nanomachines. She doesn't mind, but I don't want to chance it with another child, especially one that might mind."

Her mother nodded. "You've obviously thought it out. Are you waiting for Shinobu to get older?"

"A little. We don't want Shinobu to be too much older than her sister. After all, we want them to be able to play with each other. As much as I love Daphne, I didn't really interact with her until her teens. Natsuki, on the other hand, was running with her brothers since she could walk because Kenta is only a year older than she is and Hiroshi is only three years older than she is. They're all close in age and spent times together until they had to go to school."

Shizue nodded and smiled. "Sounds like you know what you want to do. I look forward to more grandchildren. And tell Natsuki that she has to come back for a visit or I'm personally coming up to Garderobe to get her."

A melodic laugh escaped Shizuru, but she would definitely deliver the message to her beloved. She would love for Natsuki to return to the Viola family manor house. For now, she was content to watch her daughter with her family.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru returned to Garderobe to find out that there was an emergency meeting. She left Shinobu with Yohko before taking her time to her wife's office. She was the last to arrive, but the meeting only consisted of her, Natsuki, Nao, and Miss Maria. She took a seat next to Nao while Miss Maria opted to stand. Natsuki remained at her desk, but handed out folders to each of them.

"All right, I'm going to keep this brief. The First and Fifth Columns have been tracking down information on stolen Otome technology, stolen Ancient technology, and a group called the Mad Scientists that are possibly making anti-Otome technology. The two cases may have nothing to do with each other and may lead to nothing, but I've authorized both of them to dig deeper just in case. These are volatile times we live in with passions ready to erupt. The Otome need to be prepared," Natsuki stated.

"Has anything been confirmed?" Shizuru inquired.

"Everything is in the initial stage right now. Gallagher-san hasn't been able to confirm the anti-Otome technology, but she has uncovered several persons of interest that we should keep our eyes and ears open for. Blythe-san has been trying to determine what was stolen and how. I spoke with them both and Blythe-san thinks the stolen Otome technology probably came from a country that is involved in the Otome program while the stolen Ancient technology was probably an inside job on an international dig site. She'll report in when she has more. For the moment, Nao, try to use your street contacts to find any information that could help us."

The redhead nodded. "No problem. A lot of my haunts are hyped over the New Politics and New Philosophy, so they're ready to talk about the Otome. And, a few of these guys in this folder sound familiar."

"That's good. Shizuru, I need you to do the same thing, but with nobles and Otomes. Neither group is speaking with me because of my philosophy. They should talk to you, despite the fact that we're married."

Shizuru giggled. "Oh, they will talk to me." After all, she had her ways.

"Is that all?" Nao asked, still flipping through the folder.

"There is one more thing," Miss Maria said in a voice that let them know she was taking over the meeting. "Many Otome and their masters feel this New Politics makes them look bad. One of the people pushing the New Politics, Maximilian Straw, has decided to go on television and the station wants and Otome, preferably one if noble heritage, to participate in a discussion that would take place tomorrow night."

"Kill him on live TV you mean?" Nao joked, earning a harsh glare from the ancient Otome. "Well, Natsuki, enjoy that."

"No, it was decided that the principal would not be the one to do it," Miss Maria reported.

Nao chuckled. "Scared she'll just agree with him, huh? So, who gets that job?"

"The Council decided that Shizuru will make the appearance and handle the discussion," Miss Maia stated.

"Ara, ara, I wasn't even aware I was in the running," Shizuru said with an amused smile. "So much faith in the woman married to Natsuki. How do these people not know that Natsuki has not converted me?"

The permanent scowl on Miss Maria's face deepened. "I have assured them that you're still just as enthusiastic about being an Otome as always."

Shizuru frowned slightly, but only for a very brief moment. Her eyes then sparkled, but it was clearly from annoyance and she was trying to make it seem like she was enthused. "So, I would certainly jump when asked, even as my wife is disrespected? They're calling Natsuki's loyalty to the Otome in question."

Miss Maria shook her head. "Not at all. They just do not think it would be much if a discussion as Natsuki would agree with most of the things Straw-san would say and visa versa."

Shizuru looked to her spouse and Natsuki only shrugged. "I'll support whatever you decide both as the principal and your wife. If you'd like to argue in the program's favor, I'm not going to stand in the way, especially since I know how you feel about being an Otome and the program in general," the pale woman assured the Third Column.

Nao groaned, sliding slightly out of her seat. "I think you're giving me a toothache with all of this sweetness."

"Welcome to my world when you're with my brother," Natsuki countered and the younger woman scowled at her.

"I think I'll do this. It sounds like it could be fun," Shizuru smiled.

"I'll inform the television station," Miss Maria said before exiting the office.

Nao turned serious suddenly. "Shizuru, be careful in debating against Straw. I've heard him speak in a lot of pubs and saloons. He knows his stuff and believes it with more conviction than me or your dog. He's all about equality for everybody. He wants to do away with class systems altogether. He'll argue into the ground over it."

"Thank you for the warning, Nao-san, but I shall be fine," Shizuru assured the redhead.

"What? You don't even know anything about the New Politics beyond the books I bring the dog," Nao pointed out, motioning to the principal with a harsh point.

"Hey!" Natsuki barked.

Shizuru waved off the concern. "I'll be fine. I have a whole day to learn what I need." She was an excellent student and she was somewhat curious about these New Politics since her sister was now spouting some of their principles. She could learn even more when she spoke to one of the movement's leaders.

Nao looked to Natsuki to back her up, but the Second Column only shrugged again. "You and I both know I can't stop Shizuru when she gets an idea in her head," Natsuki chuckled while holding her hands up in surrender.

"At least help her prepare. Straw will eat her alive," the redhead pointed out.

The Second Column put her hand to her chin. "I might actually pay to see that."

Shizuru playfully glared at her spouse. "Come, beloved, we have a daughter to pick up."

"You got me in trouble," Natsuki accused the younger Otome.

Nao only laughed, mocking the principal. Shizuru helped Natsuki from her seat and they all exited the office. Nao rushed off, having a date with Kenta. Shizuru now had a date with the internet.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Shizuru goes on TV.


	3. The Great Debate

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

A/N: there was a little snafu in the last chapter about Mashiro's relationship to King Bruce. It was fixed … I hope. Also, the story is already moving into the M rated territory.

3: The Great Debate

Shizuru handed Shinobu over to Natsuki, who was sitting on their sofa. She grinned as soon as the toddler was in her grip. Shinobu mirrored the grin, looking much like her Momma with the expression. Shizuru leaned down, giving each of her ladies a kiss. Their grins spread even wider because of the show of affection.

"Good luck," the pale woman said as Shinobu stood up.

"Good luck, Kaa-san!" The child wrapped her arms around her mother, giving her a tight embrace.

"I do wish Natsuki would come and then our little warrior could come." Shizuru rubbed the top of Shinobu's head, mussing the child's long hair.

"We already agreed that wouldn't be a good idea. We don't want the Otome Council or meister Otome and their masters speculating about my actions when the discussion is over and the cameras as have stopped rolling. They're probably ready trying to figure out how to replace me. I don't want them to think I'm somehow trying to influence you because then they'll start looking at you differently, too, and I don't want that to happen. I'll watch here and call you as soon as it's done. I'll be right here when you come back."

The Graceful Amethyst nodded because they had agreed that Natsuki would stay home. She did not want to cause any trouble for her spouse and she knew that the Otome would go begin spreading rumors like mad if Natsuki was in the same building as a leader of the New Politics. Even the Otome that were in Natsuki's corner or neutral would begin gossiping; one of the side effects of being around all women, Natsuki liked to joke. Of course, Shizuru did not think it was a joke considering so many people were talking behind her wife's back and making it seem like she was going to betray the Otome based on the New Politics. Taking a deep breath, Shizuru fortified herself for her task.

"We're with you in spirit, babe," Natsuki assured her wife, reaching up and gently caressing Shizuru's cheek.

The Third Column smiled. "I know. Well, I'm off." She squared her shoulders, as if she was going off to battle.

"Bye, Kaa-san." Shinobu waved as her mother exited the principal's suite.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru barely had time to meet Maximilian Straw when she got to the studio. He was surprisingly young. She had absorbed his work as well other New Politics writers, orators, and leaders in the time that she had, but did not know what any of them looked like. She had to admit he had an elegance to his manner and she could find herself agreeing with his ideas, but not his words. The man himself, she was already not a fan of.

He looked at her with open contempt in his orange gaze. It seemed that he realized what he was doing after a few tense seconds and shook himself out of his hateful daze. His wavy dark brown hair swayed as his head moved, covering his eyes as they shifted from damning to halfway tolerate. The expression almost made a return as he took in her Otome uniform.

She did not say anything about the look. She did not expect him to like her. As long as he was civil, she would accept that. While he was busy trying to hide his contempt, she studied him. He was dressed like a common man of Windbloom with good posture that tilted just slightly to the left. He was well groomed to the point of having a manicure, which made her think of businessmen and professionals in Aries. _Maybe there's some connection_. If there was, though, she did not know it yet as she only had time to learn the man's beliefs.

His youthful face was clear and smooth. He was an idealist with young passion and more than likely believed that no matter what, he was right. He came off as an oddly calm, calculated demagogue in his writing and speeches.

She would soon find out more about him as they were led out on stage. They were sat on opposite ends of a desk, which was where the host sat. The host introduced them to the cameras. There was a small audience in the studio and she smiled at them when her name was said. Maximilian did the same.

"So, Shizuru Viola, one of Windbloom's most beloved Otomes. I'm so glad you could make it," the host said to her.

"I'm happy to be here. It is a pleasure to speak out on behalf the Otome," Shizuru stated with a small smile. She was sitting with perfect posture as she had been taught to with her legs crossed at the ankle.

"And the nobles, right? Basically, you're here to defend the status quo," Maximilian jumped right in. He stared into her eyes, looking smugly at her.

Shizuru gave him a smile, but her eyes glinted with something more. "I'm here to represent the Otome. You're assuming that just because my father is a noble that I'm here to represent that group as well, but I was only called on to speak for the Otome. I'm sure the nobles can fight their own battles."

"We represent many different aspects of ourselves whenever we come out," he countered.

She let loose a lighthearted laugh. "Ara, ara, if that is the case, I shall have to be on my best behavior as my father is so loved by the people. I should hate to cast a shadow over his character. He is a fair and just man."

"So, that means he deserves his rank above others?" he arched a chocolate eyebrow. He remained calm, almost matching Shizuru's demeanor without her subtle mirth.

"I do not recall saying that and my father has never made such a claim. One can hardly be blamed for whom they are born."

He nodded, as if conceding to her, but she knew better. "While that's true, one can be blamed for keeping these people that abuse the common man by acting as hired thugs for them." His voice remained even and cool, as did his gaze.

She smiled slightly. "So, you would prefer that disputes between nobles and countries be handled the old fashion way with total war and have millions of people die?"

"That had been an acceptable explanation once upon a time, but today you can see there is more going on. In the Cardair Empire alone, the Otome have been used to squash peasant revolts against the establishment, especially in recent years. That's hardly protecting the people from war."

"What you call revolts have been labeled as riots in the empire and it is an Otome's duty to protect people if it is a riot. Not being there myself, I cannot say what it was or what happened, but no Otome has complained that her master has overstepped his authority, so I am more inclined to believe they were protecting people."

"Of course, you would side with the lies told by kings and emperors. The Otome wouldn't report an abuse of power when they're there to keep the nobles in power. There's no way for regular people to rise up and demand that they're treated as equals as long as the nobles can hide behind their attack dogs, also known as the Otome. Topping if off, most Otome are nobles themselves. The nobles are just giving themselves more power to make sure the peasants remain at the bottom to be treated any way that tickles the nobles' fancy," he pointed out.

"These are just assumptions, conspiracy theories with no proof to substantiate them," she countered.

"Is it a conspiracy theory that most people on the planet are the subject to the whims of a small few? In our own country of Windbloom, what group has the smallest voice in how the country is run? What group pays the most taxes? How many newspapers do we have? How often do those few newspapers report scandals on the nobles or the Queen? A brave few have done so recently and have been shut down almost immediately by nobles here in and many other countries. If the Queen so pleases, she could have any and all arrested on her whim and held without trial for however long she pleases and these are far too many countries out there run in the same manner. Power and wealth are concentrated amongst the few while the majority is at their whim and starving to death."

She took in what he said, knowing he was now trying to push his whole agenda. She needed to keep the conversation about her topic, though. "The Otome actually help against that as the program is open to all girls. Social status is really irrelevant and allows these girls a chance to rise above their status in several ways."

He snorted. "The peasant girls in your program have basically been bought. These peasants are little more than objects, attack dogs to nobles in want of Otome."

Shizuru almost frowned, but she caught herself. "I have met many Otome in my time. I'm sure you can say the same to make such a bold claim. Have you met many Otome? At the very least have you met Queen Mashiro's Otome? I doubt she would ever describe herself as a dog. You seem to be under the impression that an Otome must do what her master commands."

He ground his teeth for a moment. "Isn't that a part of the ceremony? Sworn obedience?"

"Ara, ara, we Otome are only human. We cannot blindly obey for sake of obeying. We have morals."

"Are these the same morals that guide you to protect the people that steal food from babies' mouths?"

"These are the morals that prevent us from doing just that. Garderobe teaches each of its pupils valves to live by and we stand by them."

He nodded. "Like the Otome that stood with the Duke from Artai as he tried to bring ruin to the world?" He smirked just a bit, obviously thinking that he had finally caught her.

"Again, Otome are only human. As a human, we often have issues in our lives that some cannot appreciate. But, I would also like to remind you that while an Otome did stand with the Duke, most of us protected the world, as it is our sworn duty." _Your move, Straw-san_.

At no point in did the young man back down, but neither did Shizuru. They spoke for almost an hour with hardly a peep out of the host. At the end, Maximilian refused to shake Shizuru's hand, instead sneering in offense when she offered a handshake.

"You may not know it or believe it, but you're wrong. Otome only help keep the people rising up against the nobles. We're all controlled by the ruling class, even if Otome are the only ones that call them masters. The people will not stand for this forever, even with the ruling class' attack dogs off their leashes and biting at the hungry masses," Straw stated before turning and marching away.

The burning look in his already blazing gaze set Shizuru ill-at-ease for the first time in a long time. There was something foreboding, almost threatening in his eyes. She was certain that he was dangerous.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru entered the principal's suite to be greeted by a warm hug from her wife. Shinobu was sleeping in Natsuki's arms, which earned a smile from the taller woman. Shizuru bent down to kiss their sleeping child.

"She made me promise not put her to bed before Kaa-san came home," Natsuki reported with a smile.

"I'm glad. Did she stay awake long enough to see me in action?" Shizuru inquired.

"She watched the whole thing. All night all she said was, 'Momma, Kaa-san on TV! Momma, Kaa-san on TV!' She crashed as soon as the show was over. You did really well."

"Natsuki doesn't sound shocked," Shizuru noted as they made their way to Shinobu's room, which used to be an office space.

Natsuki scoffed. "Nothing you do can shock me. I know how you are when you take something seriously." She then turned her attention to the tiny toddler bed in a room that barely fit all three of them inside. "Shizuru, we have to do something soon. This office won't be much of a bedroom when she gets bigger."

"Yes, I know."

"I'll put in my paperwork to retire if you're not ready yet."

Shizuru shook her head. "I am ready, but something compels me to stay. I feel like I'm needed."

"You are, by me and Spooky. I know you're going to stick around for however long I'm here, which is why I figure I should retire first. I know you want to make sure I'm safe, so I'll go first."

"When will you do it?" the Third Column asked as she pulled back the blankets on the bed and Natsuki placed their daughter gently down. Honestly, she would prefer that Natsuki retire first, and she guessed it was for the reason her spouse gave. She had never consciously thought about it.

"After this investigation. I don't want to complicate matters by stepping down in the middle of something. But, it's time to stop putting this off," Natsuki stated.

"It is. As soon as I retire, I'll go see sensei. We can have our second daughter."

Natsuki smiled and nodded. They had discussed retirement many times since Shinobu's birth, but it felt serious now. Natsuki had set a time. Shizuru would definitely follow.

They tucked their little girl in and went into the living room. Natsuki put a couple of pillows behind Shizuru and put the older woman's feet in her lap. She began a foot massage that caused Shizuru to moan at first contact.

"Thank you, dearest Natsuki. I truly needed that."

"I figured as much. I'm sorry you had to do this. I know you don't like this kind of stuff. If it makes you feel any better, you kicked ass. You were really good, especially for a person who didn't know who Maximilian Straw was yesterday. You kept your cool and kept the discussion on topic every time he tried to take it somewhere else."

Shizuru chuckled. "I had to. I don't know his stance on anything beyond the Otome." She had only had a day to cram, after all.

Natsuki laughed, too. "Of course. I should've known. But, I'm sorry you had to do it."

"Don't be. It was fun and helped me remember how much I do enjoy being an Otome and how much the program helped young women."

"I should've known you'd think it was fun. Still, it shouldn't have been your responsibility. I'm supposed to handle stuff like this."

Shizuru gave her a beautiful smile and waved it all off with a flick of her wrist. "It's not Natsuki's fault I needed to go. People who think they know my beloved made this happen. Don't blame yourself."

Natsuki sighed. "Maybe I should tone things down a bit. I shouldn't get into debates or discussions about the New Philosophy or New Politics with anyone anymore."

The taller Otome frowned. "Don't you dare! You believe in your heart that people are equal and deserve better chances in life. You have a right to your opinion as much as anyone else and for you to stop voicing your opinion not only makes it seem like you think you did something wrong, but also that they're in control. You make them right and give them power over you. The Old Guard wins and it shows they're the ones with the power."

Emerald eyes blinked in shock. "Wow. Just wow. Look at you, using New Politics vocabulary, the Old Guard, sounding like a Reactionary. What would the Otome think, knowing I've brainwashed one of their most beloved daughters?"

"You're deserving of your own thoughts and beliefs. Besides, having read some of the New Philosophy and such, I can see why you have taken to it. Many of the ideas and ideals are appealing. Many of the words make sense."

"I sense a but coming."

Shizuru nodded. "But, I think the men spouting the ideas are dangerous. Sitting across from Maximilian Straw, looking into his eyes, underneath the calm, I recognized a torrent."

"I'm sure most Reactionaries have a torrent beyond their eyes. They're upset that the world is the way it is for the most part. They're literally mad at the world."

The tawny-haired woman chuckled. "I suppose so. But, you're a Reactionary."

"I don't really consider myself a Reactionary. I mean, the term itself is used for people that react to laws passed or not passed by the government or people that react to things done by nobility. These are people that take action. I don't really do that."

"You're right. I guess I still have a lot to learn about New Politics and New Philosophy. What do you think will come from it?"

"Come from your television appearance or from the New Politics?"

"Both."

Natsuki shifted to get more comfortable and continued to rub her wife's feet. "I think you helped the Otome. People like you in general, so you being the face of the Otome was a good move. Your argument was strong and made sense. Best of all, everything you said was true. Of course, you spun some of it, but you told the truth and it sounded very good. I'm sure you convinced a lot of people that the Otome aren't the enemy or even hounds of the enemy. You were great."

Shizuru smiled proudly. "I'm glad you thought so. As I said, it was fun, but I honestly wouldn't like to do it again. I have no desire to be 'the face' of the Otome."

"Well, you're good at it and you've got people fooled into thinking you love the attention. You need to stop hamming it up."

A chuckle escaped Shizuru and she gave her spouse a smoldering stare. "You love it when I'm over the top."

Natsuki gave her wife a warning glare. "Don't start or you'll wake the baby."

Shizuru sighed dramatically. "Natsuki never lets me have any fun."

The ebony-haired female rolled her eyes. She finished the foot massage and went to heat up some dinner for Shizuru. After the meal, they showered and went to bed like it was a normal night.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki rubbed her eyes while putting down a folder. She glanced over her desk to check on Shinobu. The toddler was quiet, working with building blocks that were given to her by her aunt Mai. Natsuki loved the fact that she could watch Shinobu all day, even when she worked, but she knew that was also one of the things that kept her from retiring.

Her job was probably the safest in the Otome world; until, of course, she finally drove Miss Maria over the edge and the ancient Otome devoured her. But, Shizuru seemed to think otherwise, which was why she was still around. Shizuru was supposed to retire first and then carry their second child. The Graceful Amethyst was scared that Tomoe, or some other threat, might come up and hurt her family. She needed her Otome powers to protect them.

Natsuki never said, but Shizuru's fear was a little insulting to her. It was as if Shizuru did not think that she could take care of herself. But, she got over that easily because she was all too aware that Shizuru had been shaken to her very core when Tomoe kidnapped a pregnant Natsuki. Psychologically, Natsuki was still trying to help her wife, but she was beginning to think that time and distance might be the only cure. But, they could only achieve more distance by getting away from the constant reminders of their jobs.

"Momma!" Shinobu called while hopping to her feet, careful of her blocks. She charged the desk and put her little hand on her mother's knee. "Kaa-san, snacks?"

Natsuki laughed and moved to pick up the little girl. She was surprised at how well Shinobu, or at least her stomach, knew their schedule. "No, Kaa-san isn't coming with snacks today. We're on our own, Spooky, remember?"

A creamy forehead wrinkled as mismatched eyes squinted in thought. "Kaa-san had work." The child frowned at the distasteful thought.

"Come on, we'll go eat something and then you can draw a picture to let Kaa-san know how much you missed her."

Shinobu nodded enthusiastically with that plan. As they ate a mid-morning snack, the plan grew to include more than just drawing something for Shizuru because Shinobu wanted her Kaa-san to really know that they both missed her. Natsuki was on board with that because Shizuru would appreciate the gesture, especially since her "work" today consisted of showing people that Otome were not the enemy. While Shizuru was great at it, the frown that she had left with that morning showed her disdain at being used for positive PR. Natsuki wished that she had some say in it as the principal, but it had been taken out of her hands thanks to the Otome Council.

Natsuki could only wonder how long it would take for her to end up as a mere figurehead. She doubted that she would stick around long enough to find out. She did wonder if she would go down with a fight or if it would get to the point that she did not care. She shook those thoughts away and got back to work. _No sense in worrying about something that might not happen_. Especially, when she had to worry about things that were probably happening, like the Mad Scientists actually were trying to create Anti-Otome technology, possibly weapons, but more investigation needed to be done according to the file that she read.

Natsuki sighed. "What's going on with the world?" Whatever it was, she hoped for the best, but expected the worse.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru sighed as she opened the door to the apartment and was surprised to find that the light was dim. She knew something was going on, but could not guess what. In the past, if something like this happened, she would assume her beloved was wearing naughty lingerie, but it was too early for that. Shinobu was still awake, after all.

"Kaa-san!" Shinobu cheered as Shizuru stepped into view of the dining room. The child and Natsuki were standing in front of the table, which was decked out with food. Shinobu grinned as she charged Shizuru to give her a hug. Natsuki followed, under much more control, and completed their family of three.

"We missed you," Natsuki informed her wife before going in for a sweet peck on the lips.

Shizuru smiled. "I gathered as much."

"I drawed you a pic'tore!" Shinobu announced, holding up a now wrinkled piece of paper.

Shizuru smiled as she accepted the picture and gave Shinobu a kiss as her thanks. Her heart thumped as she examined a picture that was clearly their family, even though she was only a lilac-colored blob with brown hair that consisted of vertical line on the top of the purple blob. Natsuki was a blue blob with black lines and in between them was a green blob. Since Shinobu was wearing green that day, Shizuru could only guess that was their daughter in between them.

"It's so beautiful," Shizuru praised the child, who grinned and held her head up high.

"Me and Momma did dinner!" Shinobu pointed to the table.

Shizuru continued to smile. "I see."

Natsuki pulled out Shizuru's chair for her and then helped Shinobu into her booster seat. Natsuki was not a master chef by far, but she could make a couple of pasta dishes and tacos. The tacos were saved for when Shizuru was not around, but Natsuki had made a very simple spaghetti dinner with hot, buttered bread.

The family ate while Shinobu talked about her day in between messy bites. Shizuru wiped Shinobu's mouth several times throughout dinner. Dessert was cake, which involved more mouth wiping for Shinobu and her momma. The evening was ended with a family bath, which they all loved.

"Kaa-san, I'm happy you're back," Shinobu said with a yawn as she cuddled into her mother. Shizuru caressed the toddler's head as her emerald and ruby eyes fluttered shut.

"I'm happy to be back," Shizuru replied.

"She's not used to you being gone all day if she sees you in the morning," Natsuki pointed out. While Shizuru still went on missions, she tended to leave for those in the middle of the day and always had a chance to explain to their daughter what was happening. That morning, it had seemed like a normal day until Miss Maria pulled Shizuru aside and rushed her to do a press conference.

"I wanted to say goodbye to both of you, but by the time I realized what was going on, I was already outside."

"It's all right. I'm sorry they pulled you into this mess."

"Do you think it'll make a difference? Things are getting worse in Windbloom. Arika and Queen Mashiro were there, so I asked about the amusement park. They were both proud of it and seemed to think it'd make people happy. Unfortunately, I don't think the Queen has figured out what to do about the rising unemployment, worsening economy, and angry citizens."

Natsuki sighed and shook her head. "She wasn't ready for the throne."

Shizuru did not argue that, not emotionally invested in the Queen right now anyway. She noted that Shinobu was no longer squirming. The little girl had fallen asleep. The parents got out of the bath and put Shinobu to bed before retiring to bed themselves.

"Just so you know, there's more to the night if you're up to it," Natsuki said with a smirk as she loomed over Shizuru, mouth just a breath away from Shizuru's lips.

The older woman smiled. "When have I ever turned down my dearest Natsuki?"

After that, no words were needed. Natsuki gave Shizuru the sweetest kiss that gradually became more passionate until their tongues were lovingly caressing each other. Natsuki's hands untied the knot to Shizuru's bathrobe and slid it off of her body. The tawny-haired Otome whimpered as her wife expert hands roamed her body, setting every inch of her on fire. All she could do was moan and take Natsuki's bathrobe off in order to feel her beloved against her.

Natsuki shrugged the robe off as soon as she could and then moved over Shizuru. Shizuru's hands moved as soon as possible, reaching out and clutching her wife to her, needing to feel all of Natsuki. She cried out as Natsuki's breasts pressed against her own.

"Natsuki, please," Shizuru whispered, panting heavily through her mouth. She wanted to be infused with Natsuki, already breathing her in, feeling her everywhere. The rise and fall of her chest only made her feel even more of her beloved, her body moving with purpose, trying to merge with Natsuki.

"Be patient," Natsuki said before kissing Shizuru's jaw and making her way down.

She left wet kisses all over her wife's neck and collarbones. The show of affection and lust made Shizuru's body flush as her blood felt like it was going to boil. Shizuru whimpered and whined, wiggling even more.

"I still love all of the little noises you make," she said before showering Shizuru's right breast in delicious kisses.

Shizuru only whined, begging for more. Natsuki obliged her, lapping at her nipple before gently taking into her mouth. Crying out, she arched her back and Natsuki tried to take in more of her. As pleasure shot through her, Shizuru realized they had not been together in a while and she worried that she might not last very long.

"Natsuki …" Shizuru groaned, running her hands up and down her spouse's smooth back. Feeling the perfect plane of Natsuki's back made her nerve-endings sizzle and her body felt like it might erupt. "Natsuki … I can't …" she tried to warn the pale woman.

Natsuki seemed to understand and her hand slid in between Shizuru's legs. Shizuru arched and let out a howl as she and her beloved were connected. Natsuki stroked her slowly at first, causing her body to burn more. She could not hold still, moving her hips with Natsuki's brilliant fingers. The principal moved her fingers faster and harder. Shizuru screamed as her body finally gave into the heavenly attention and she pulled Natsuki as close to her as possible without merging bodies.

She felt a gentle kiss to her shoulder as she came down from her blissful high. She sighed and rubbed Natsuki's back. Natsuki shifted her body to avoid lying fully on Shizuru, not that the Graceful Amethyst minded. She kept her arms around her smaller wife.

"It's been too long."

Natsuki nodded. "Too much work and running around with Spooky has been wearing us out."

"Still we need to take care of us. I love you, Natsuki, and always will. I will also always want to be with you."

"I know. I love you, too. You know, maybe when we retire, we'll be able to do this more often. Then, maybe somebody won't go off like a shot two minutes in," Natsuki teased with a snicker.

Shizuru growled and flipped Natsuki onto her back. The smaller woman smiled at her and Shizuru smiled back before attacking.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Politics hit the Otome close when something happens in the empire of Cardair.


	4. Hostile takeovers

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

4: Hostile takeovers

The New Politics and New Philosophy were not ideas that were confined to Windbloom. A large demonstration in the Cardair Empire's capital erupted into a violent protest when two of the emperors and some nobles sent their Otome out with a police force to try to break up the gathering. The people began throwing whatever they could get their hands on to keep their demonstration alive and get their voices heard. The police and Otome responded back with more force. Ten people were killed and countless others arrested, thrown in dungeons without anyone being notified. It was not the best way to endear themselves to the followers of the New Politics or the people of the Cardair Empire really.

Making matters worse, the action had been taken when the youngest Emperor, Kazuya Krau-xeku, and his Otome, Akane Soir, were out of the country on a diplomatic mission. The people of Cardair had taken a liking to the youngest of the three emperors, seeming to think that he was more in touch with the common man. It was also common knowledge that Akane was not just some puppet for Kazuya to control, but the two were in love and just could not get married for some reason. Now, the people felt like the other two emperors and their Otome had gone behind Kazuya's back, which seemed to push the police action into the "unforgiveable" territory. Kazuya could not get back to Cardair either without ruining his diplomatic trip, but he tried to quell the situation by apologizing via television and explaining how he would talk to his fellow emperors.

Natsuki had also stepped in and she spoken to the Otome. She tried to convince them to apologize for their actions to help them appear less like the attack dogs that people were certainly going to think they were and accuse them of being. Of course, they refused her, claiming her opinion was biased by her beliefs and she knew nothing about what was happening in Cardair. She was all too aware of what was happening there and in many other countries around the world.

"They're the biased ones, but they can't see that for some reason," the principal sighed.

She had attempted to get Shizuru to talk to the Otome after that. After all, the Empire's Otome were eroding all of her hard work in proving that the Otome were there for the people. They blew Shizuru off, too, saying she was only there because her wife asked her to be there.

Natsuki was not sure what to do now. She could not let the Otome get away with disobeying her because it took away what little power she seemed to have. But, they had done what their Masters ordered, which technically justified their actions. She shook her head. _No, nothing justifies what they did_. She had to show everyone that the Otome could not just blindly follow orders. It could lead to disaster if they were not careful.

So, Natsuki made the decision to have their GEMS deactivated for a month, having to formally tell their voicemails because they were not taking calls from her, the goddamn Principal of Garderobe. She did not inform Miss Maria of her actions because she was not in the mood to be stopped. Yohko did not insist on arguing over it and just did as Natsuki commanded. Questions came after, though.

"Do you honestly think this will work?" Yohko asked once the deed was done.

"I had to do something. They're not even listening to me anymore. They think _I_ of all people have no clue what's going on in their nation. I know what's going on in almost every goddamn nation on the flipping planet and we're not going to come out of this looking good by helping tyrants," Natsuki stated.

"Strong words," the doctor noted. "You sound biased."

Natsuki took a deep breath. "I'm not against the Otome, but people will be. In Cardair, the emperors are viewed as tyrants. At their whim, over five hundred people were just jailed for complaining about the government. How is that fair?"

"It's not, but you can't tell them how to run their nation. As much as I hate what they're doing, you're not in charge of the place. You can't tell them what to do."

"And yet they can tell me how to run my school and program? They can drag us down with them? I can't just stand by and watch as Otome become weapons against regular people that want more for themselves."

"So, you'll lord over the Otome? Be their moral guardian and dictate to them what should be done so all is right in the world?"

Natsuki frowned, even thought she knew that Yohko was just playing devil's advocate. "So, I should do nothing? Watch as these fools succeed where everyone else has failed and let them destroy the Otome?"

The Chief Medical Officer shrugged. "Sometimes, people need to find out for themselves that they're wrong and sometimes others need to step out of the way when they see shits about to hit the fan."

The pale woman shook her head. "I'm not wired that way. I can't just let them tear the whole thing down. I'm responsible for the Otome, for this school, its reputation, its graduates, its current pupils, and its programs. I can't do nothing."

Yohko offered her a sorrowful smile. "Then heavy is the head that wears the crown."

Natsuki sucked her teeth and marched back to her office. She was alone today. Shizuru had taken Shinobu to visit the Viola estate again. The solitude did not last for long as Miss Maria burst through the door, glaring down at her as if she had committed some great criminal offense. Natsuki actually glared back.

"Let me guess, some little birds went crying to you about how I clipped their wings," Natsuki commented, somehow managing to hold a sneer in.

"You cannot deactivate that many Otome in a volatile situation. You've putting their lives and their Masters' lives in danger," Miss Maria pointed out.

"Those Otome disobeyed a direct order –" Natsuki was cut off, which only made her blood boil even more.

"Yes, to apologize –"

"Don't say it like it's some frivolous thing! People, normal, hard-working people lost their lives because of actions taken by men we've entrusted with Otome!" Natsuki barked. Miss Maria did not even flinch over the uncharacteristic loss of cool exhibited by the headmistress.

"Those 'normal, hard-working people' were involved in illegal activities or have you forgotten?"

The ebony-haired Otome scowled. "A demonstration that only turns violent when the police show up is hardly something I think ten people should die over, but maybe you think more people should've died and then all of those horrible criminals that want equality could be made to heel, right?" her voice oozed with contempt.

Miss Maria's face twitched. "Don't mock me. You don't know what I feel on the situation."

"Oh, but, I do. I understand it perfectly. Those people got what they deserved because they were breaking the law, however draconian it is. The Otome were right in their actions because those people were criminals and they only did what their Masters told them to do. That about sums up your thoughts on the matter, right?"

"That is the way it stands to be reasoned."

"Well, my way it stands to be reasoned is that I gave a direct order much like the brilliant Masters you and the Otome defend and it was openly scoffed at. Not only that, but my order didn't even involve people dying. So, what that tells me is that not all orders are meant to be followed, especially if they come me. As a military organization, it doesn't bode well when the soldiers are made to feel it's perfectly fine to ignore the commander-in-chief."

Miss Maria arched an eyebrow. "You think you're the commander-in-chief? Natsuki, if that were the case you wouldn't be endangering the lives of your soldiers in hostile territory over an apology."

"But, why is the territory hostile? Because these Otome went in and made a bad situation worse and when they had the chance to make up for it, they blew it off."

Miss Maria studied Natsuki and the principal stared back. She was not going to back down from her decision. Miss Maria must have understood because she turned and left without another word. Natsuki counted it as a small victory, but she should have known better.

The day was barely halfway done before she was flooded by calls from Otome, all wanting her to know how damning her decision was for the Cardair nobles and Otome. Some had the gall to inform her that she had no idea what they had to put up with outside, in the oh-so dangerous real world. They wanted the GEM bans lifted because "the Otome were doing their jobs." Natsuki had never felt so sick about her own job in her life.

She was not about to be bullied into changing her mind. The punishment would stand and she would have to deal with the repercussions. She hated the idea of fighting against her own Otome, her sisters-in-arms, but they had put her in an awkward position. Sighing, she put her head down.

"Where are Spooky and Shizuru? I could use a family hug right about now," Natsuki muttered, but that was not meant to be for another few hours. Until, she busied herself with the usual reports and wondering if Miss Maria had actually gone over her head and rallied that large group of Otome against her.

She doubted that Miss Maria would do something so underhanded and brazen. It was not her style. She was much more likely to just push Natsuki to do what she wanted by using very simple reverse psychology. No, if anything, the Cardair Otome had called on the others to speak on their belief. Of course, that bothered Natsuki, too. She could not be long for her position if so many would speak against her decision.

"Obviously, my leadership leaves something to be desired," the emerald-eyed Otome sighed.

It was rare for Natsuki to question her leadership, especially when she had proven herself quite competent several times over her stint as principal. Ever since she had taken to reading up on the New Politics and New Philosophy, she made sure that she was not tyrannical in her approach to anything. But, somewhere along the line, her power had slipped away and was slowly coming into the hands of people who already had more power than they needed or deserved from what she saw in Cardair. The Master class seemed as if they were in control of everything, including her.

"Well, I'm not just rolling over for them. I'm not going to let them take over. I'm not going to let them have everything," Natsuki growled.

A little later in the day, Natsuki thought that she might have an ally. Emperor Kazuya got in contact with her. She thought that he would offer her some help in getting things under control in Cardair. She was wrong.

"Principal Kruger, I understand your position, but you have to understand that Cardair is going through tough times right now and it could be dangerous for some of our top citizens to go without protection like this," the Emperor stated.

Natsuki frowned. "I merely tried to make the situation a little less dangerous, only to have my concern tossed back in my face."

"I understand that, but the damage is already done. I worry that something worse can happen. I'm going to try to get home as soon as possible to make things better, but until then, people deserve to be safe."

"Yes, they do. I'm glad we agree on something, your Highness. I have work to do, so I will speak with you at some other time." She ended the call without another word from him. She understood that he was worried about the nobles in Cardair since the people were definitely upset, but as far as she was concerned, they brought that on themselves. She tried to help and she was getting it from all sides for attempting to pacify the situation. She felt a small pounding at the sides of her head.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru watched Natsuki have a fitful sleep and she could only wonder what monsters the pale woman was battling in her sleep. She knew her precious one was having trouble with some of the Otome and their Masters, especially over the incident that happened in Cardair. She had heard about Natsuki's punishment and the call for Otome to fight the principal's decision. She had never heard something so patently ridiculous until she learned some Otome had actually done it.

That practically blew Shizuru's mind. Yes, Garderobe principals had been challenged, even removed from their positions, but not for disciplining Otome. She had also never heard of a group of Otome trying to rally around a crew that was punished, trying to get the punishment lifted, especially when the punishment was only a month of deactivation. Natsuki could have and probably should have been much harsher.

"My dearest one, maybe it is time to retire," Shizuru whispered as she caressed her wife's head. She did not want Natsuki to be stressed out over people that now did not even understand their place in the world. An Otome was not meant to blindly follow the whim of her Master. Of course, that was easier said than done considering most Otome had deep relationships with their Masters. Not because their lives were connected, even though that was part of it, but because many knew their masters before becoming Otome.

She and Natsuki were perfect examples, actually. They were both supposed to be the personal Otome for their fathers. Shizuru had played the role for a couple of years while Natsuki had been picked as a Column as soon as she graduated. _Would we have been able to stand up to our fathers if they gave us orders we didn't agree with? Where would our loyalties lie?_

She shook that thought away. _It's just an excuse_. While most Otome were close to their Masters, every few kin. Anh was currently the only Otome that was the daughter of her Master and Shizuru had seen her onee-sama stand up to her father on several occasions. There was something more complex here than following orders. Things were changing; the world was changing.

"And my poor Natsuki is caught in the middle of it," Shizuru sighed. As Natsuki's wife, she felt it was her duty to do something for Natsuki, like when Natsuki made that surprised dinner for her when she had to do that discussion/debate. She had to figure out how to help the principal relax.

That morning, Shizuru prepared Natsuki's favorite breakfast. The weary Second Column smiled at the sight of her favorite food and she visibly looked better as she began eating. When Shizuru sat down, Natsuki took her hand and held it through the entire meal while Shinobu waxed poetically on why they needed to get a dog. Shizuru could tell by the light in Natsuki's eyes, she was seriously considering the argument.

"We don't have space for a dog," Shizuru reminded both her wife and child. They both pouted in the same manner. "So cute," she cooed and kissed them both.

All too soon, the day was underway. Shinobu was left with Natsuki as usual. Shizuru decided to go find Miss Maria. She wanted to know what the hell was going with the Otome lately. Miss Maria was in her own little office on the phone. Shizuru waited until she was done.

"What can I do for you, Kruger-san?" Miss Maria inquired.

"You can start with telling me what happened to the Otome in Cardair that were reprimanded only for calls to come into the principal barely an hour later daring to scold her for her actions," Shizuru answered.

"Ah, I see there are still not secrets in your marriage."

"Even if Natsuki had not told me, it wouldn't matter. I was hardly on school grounds for two minutes before I heard girls actually boasting about what those Otome had done. Boasting, as if it were some great honor to kill ten people and then disrespect the principal."

Miss Maria scowled. "I've been trying to get a handle on the situation, but it flew out of control the moment these girls let others know of their punishment. I think their masters might be encouraging them to talk to other Otome and get others on their side."

Crimson eyes narrowed on the older woman. "Why haven't you gone to Natsuki with your suspicions?"

"Because she will only punish them further and now is not the time for a power play."

"But, isn't that what this whole thing is? They're taking power from Natsuki and put it into the hands of their masters."

"Maybe it's their masters who need it."

Now, Shizuru was scowling. "Their masters aren't the ones who died or sit in a prison all with no hope for release."

"Their masters are also not the ones that broke the law. Those people could have harmed the Otome and their masters."

"Is that what you've been telling yourself so you can sleep at night?"

"I can see your spouse has converted you to her Reactionary ideals."

Crimson eyes flashed. "This isn't about New Politics or Reactionaries. This is about Otome disobeying the principal and bringing others into it. This is about students we've trained thinking that being involved in something that cost people their lives is something to brag about. This is about Otome that actually killed average subjects who were peacefully demonstrating until the police showed up."

Miss Maria sighed. "Yes, that is unfortunate, but again, these are dangerous times. If the Otome don't do their jobs, many more lives could be lost." There was a haunted look in her eyes that Shizuru wondered about, but she did not ask. Miss Maria always had her secrets.

"Natsuki will not lift the ban," the Graceful Amethyst pointed out.

"Eventually, she will see that this not all about cute ideas and she'll change her mind." It sounded like a grim prediction.

Shizuru frowned again, but she did not say anything more. She silently took her leave, wanting her spouse and to make sure Natsuki was all right. The principal was reading at her desk while Shinobu napped on her legs. Shizuru scooped up the little girl, who cuddled into her shoulder. She then greeted Natsuki with a gentle kiss to the lips.

"How did you put her to sleep already?" Shizuru asked. She was almost ready to believe that Natsuki knew witchcraft because of how easily she got Shinubu to sleep. No one else could get the rather energetic toddler down as quickly as her momma could.

Natsuki smiled proudly. "Trade secret. I can't tell non-members."

"Oh, now you and our daughter have a secret club against me?"

"Never against you. What are you doing here so early? I'm pretty sure you have work to do."

Shizuru smiled. "So does Natsuki and it doesn't appear that she's taking it very seriously," she commented. Her wife blushed that lovely shade of pink that Shizuru loved so much and hurriedly shoved her book in her desk.

"I was taking a break."

"I'm sure you were. I was visiting with Miss Maria. She seems a bit passionate, for her anyway, about those Otome having their access to their GEMS in case something worse happens. She doesn't condone what the Otome did, but she doesn't back your punishment either."

Natsuki nodded. "I didn't think she would. I've been curious about Miss Maria's reaction to this whole issue of the New Politics. She said she's seen it before."

"She seems haunted by it."

"I think she might have been around during the Great Lutesian Revolt. I was looking it up and it happened a little bit after the Age of Advanced Thinking. It seemed like the people were crying for the same things, but things got out of hand."

Shizuru nodded. "I remember learning about it in history. Of course, thinking about it now, it was told sort of like royalist propaganda by my tutors and later on at school. People clearly needed a monarch in charge because the Revolt quickly devolved into an animalistic bloodbath. Obviously, regular people could not be trusted to govern themselves or they'd turn society into packs of wild animals."

"I hadn't even learned about it until I had a history class here. How old do you think Miss Maria really is if she was around for this?" Natsuki snickered.

"A lady never tells," Shizuru reminded her spouse with a small smile.

"Still, could you imagine living through three years of constant executions of the king, nobles, intellectuals, artists, and then just 'enemies of the revolution,' which seemed to be everyone? Not to mention, three years of civil war after only for the nation to split anyway? The wounds are still healing. No wonder she thinks the New Politics are dangerous."

"Maybe they are if it could lead to something like the Great Lutesian Revolt."

Natsuki frowned. "People can't be oppressed forever. The Great Lutesian Revolt didn't work, but look at Aries. They had ideas about people being more involved in their government and the government being there for the people. People can be trusted to take part in government, govern themselves, and have rights beyond following what the nobility and royals say. It can work."

Shizuru could not argue that one and decided not to try. The conversation was interrupted as Nao burst in. Natsuki glared at the redhead.

"Why do I have to keep reminding you to knock and wait for permission to enter, you creepy little monkey?" Natsuki huffed.

Nao rolled her eyes. "I know you're only in here goofing off if you have Bu with you. But, I have important news to tease you about."

The principal scowled deeply, but Shizuru knew it was an act. The pair was close friends, almost sisters-in-law if Natsuki's brother ever gathered the courage to enter a second marriage. She was not sure why they continued to act like they hated each other.

"I've been given tickets to an underground event starring Maximilian Straw and Masujiro Danton. They'll be speaking on the horrors going on in Cardair and about some changes that need to happen in Windbloom. Don't you wish you could come?" Nao teased.

Natsuki was too recognizable to go into such a situation. Many of the Reactionaries would know who she was immediately thanks to their feelings toward the Otome. The principal knew that, but from the way she twitched, Shizuru feared that her wife might try. She put her hand on Natsuki's shoulder to keep her calm and rational.

"Keep an ear open while you're there," Natsuki told the Fourth Column.

Nao mock-saluted. "Yes, my Captain. If I don't, though, do I get a cool story about you deactivating my GEM?"

The principal snarled. "It's not cool."

The redhead snapped to attention, surprised by the tone. "No, it's not. You did the right thing. Otome aren't supposed to be murder weapons."

"No, so listen out if we can expect more demonstrations or worse. I want to get ahead of this, so the Otome know what's expected of them when something happens, so I don't have to deal with anymore Otome being involved in the deaths of regular people," Natsuki stated.

"I got it."

"And don't take Kenta."

"I wasn't, but you really need to stop being so overprotective. You're the baby brother, after all," Nao remarked with a snicker.

"Just don't take him," Natsuki ordered. The redhead snorted, nodded, and made her escape before Natsuki could say anything else. Natsuki sighed. "Those speeches are probably going to be great."

"I'll make sure your night is not boring," Shizuru purred and Natsuki grinned.

-8-8-8-8-

Nao had never heard Masujiro Danton speak, but as she navigated the cellar speakeasy, she picked up a few things from people murmuring about him. He sounded like a man that could be dangerous, calling for a complete dismantling on the monarchy and ridding the world of the noble class. She was not sure how he proposed to accomplish those things, but she doubted it had to do with just using his words.

There were a few minor speeches, railing against what happened in Cardair and shouting about how the establishment, the royalists, the Privileged were holding down the average person. They all got cheers, especially when they mentioned being rid of the upper classes and making everyone equal. And, then, it was Masujiro Danton's turn to speak.

Masujiro Danton was a stout man with fiery, light blue eyes and blond hair. He dressed well, but like a businessman, not a noble. He was baldly up top, but it seemed to suit him somehow. The room quieted for him as he stood, beer in hand.

"Distinguished, would-be citizens of this forsaken kingdom! I think it's high time we face facts before we end up like the people in the Cardair Empire. The events there show us that the Otome are with those wicked nobles and only here to oppress the masses! These heavy-handed harlots bat their eyes and swear that they're there to protect people and prevent war, but the truth is that they're here to keep you in your place! They're there to make sure the Queen can keep taxing you while unemployment sky-rockets, so she can build an amusement park!" he thundered.

The hall erupted into applauds. Nao expected the actions in Cardair to be a subject, but she had not expected him to focus on the Otome. It would seem Shizuru's hard PR work was definitely done away with.

"The Otome need to done away with along with their Masters because the rest of the world, especially in Windbloom, is tired of serving as slaves to these people! We will not allow them to subject us to their whims! We will not allow them to stop our voices when we speak out as they have tried to do in Cardair! We will never let them silence us like they have tried to do in Cardair! In fact, what they have done in Carddair will only make us scream louder and act swifter to change things!" Masujiro announced to more cheers.

"They are not above us!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"No, they are not above us! They have powerful beasts to keep us down, but that will not always be so! The Otome and their Masters have had their time in the sun! They will have to burn as we pull the world into light!" Masujiro shouted and paused for more cheers. "Soon, there will be no need to meet in secret! No need to speak in code! No need to worry about the Queen's secret squad of Otome!"

The cheers surprised Nao because that was sheer paranoia. Just because Garderobe was in Windbloom, it did not mean that the Otome worked for Queen Mashiro. Technically, the school was its own sovereign nation.

"We will not keep to the shadows! We will take what is owed to us and if the Otome dogs want a war, we shall give them one because we are willing to die for our rights! Just ask the brave souls in Cardair!" That statement received the loudest cheers.

Masujiro sat down and the crowd clamored for more. Suddenly, Maximilian Straw climbed to his feet and it was like a rock star was in the building. He put his drink down and it was like a signal for everyone to quiet down. He surveyed the area with a dark, serious expression.

"We have been held down too long, my friends. For too long have the few held all of the power and the so-called peasant class left under their thumb. We are as human as they, as intelligent as they, and clearly more righteous than they. And, yet, we have allowed them to take away and stomp on our natural, ancient rights necessary for a balanced, just society. They only have the power because we gave it to them! They rule by our whim!" Maximilian proclaimed.

The mob seemed stunned by his words, hypnotized by his message. Nao actually agreed with that much of his rhetoric. She believed that the government was there because people allowed it, but in many places the people in charge seemed to think they were born with the right to reign over the "peasants." They seemed to think that whomever they had the fortune to fall out of at birth made them better than others. It was something that had always left a sour taste in her mouth because they were so few and if people really were fed up, Nao believed they had the power to make a change.

"We need to take back the power because they were supposed to keep the peace! They were supposed to keep order! They were supposed to protect the peasant class!"

Again, Nao agreed with that. Everyone was supposed to have their place in society and do their part. The crowd did also, clapping for Maximilian. Straw did not miss a beat, even with the noise.

"They have failed! Closest to home, our own government has stolen our rights and lied to us! I charge that the nobles still are skeptical that they placed the correct girl on the throne! How can we trust them to uphold any law if they're just making it up as they go along?"

The redhead made a mental note to look into that claim and also find out how Maximilian learned that information. She wondered if it was true. _I should've paid more attention in History and Political Science_.

"We are owed the truth and we are owed our natural rights! I charge that the Queen, nobles, other royalists, and the Privileged have failed to acknowledge that all people are equal and free from birth! I charge that the Queen and her ilk have ignored the rule of law to keep order, ignored due process of the law, ignored that all people can express their ideas in any fashion that they may without abuse or harm to another and have no fear of arrest, have ignored the people's right to participate in government and the rule or the nation! Once these grievances are brought to light, should the Queen continue to ignore our anguish, then she will see the power of the people!"

The entire place was on its feet, clapping or banging on any available surface. Nao almost hated that she wanted to join in. She loved the ideals, even if most of his suggestions were things easily found in Aries, but also almost impossible to find anywhere else. But, after what happened in Cardair, she saw how dangerous and deadly things could get and she did not want to rile people up or get swept up in passions because that could lead to something like what happened in Cardair. Making it worse, the New Politics were definitely against the Otome now and she could not turn her back on the institution that got her out of the gutter. _I wonder what Natsuki's going to do_. She would probably follow the principal's lead, after she made her report.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: more information on Straw's claim against Queen Mashiro as well as finding out more about the stolen Otome technology.


	5. One thing

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

5: One thing

Natsuki and Shizuru met up with Nao outside of Garderobe. Nao had insisted on it and Natsuki knew it was because the redhead did not want Miss Maria sitting in on the meeting. Natsuki hated that it seemed like there was a divide between the three of them and the rest of the Otome. Making matters worse, she was really the reason that Shizuru was in their little camp and drifting from many of the Otome.

Natsuki decided to meet with Nao at Mai's place, so she could bring Shinobu with them. Shizuru held onto Shinobu as they made the trip to Cat God Mountain Park. Shinobu was not still, taking everything they passed, twisting and turning as if she studied all.

"We're gonna see Auntie Mai!" Shinobu cheered, figuring it out based on the scenery.

"Yeah, Spooky, good guess!" Natsuki praised the girl, rubbing the child's dark hair. "I'm guessing she gets that from you because I had to be trained to be that observant."

Shizuru only smiled, silently agreeing. They made it to Mai's house to have the redhead waiting. Mai barely greeted them as she went right for their daughter. Shinobu practically leaped into Mai's open arms.

"Auntie!" the toddler grinned, hugging the redhead tightly.

"Hey, there, cutie! Auntie has been waiting for you. You're getting so big!" Mai replied with a wide smile of her own, carrying the child away to stuff her with sweet snacks.

Mikoto popped up as soon as she noticed the Kruger family, but just like Mai, Mikoto was more interested in Shinobu than Natsuki and Shizuru. The cat goddess had an excuse – Shinobu was the first baby that she had been around and watching her grow was intriguing for Mikoto. Of course, the fact that Mai was utterly in love with Shinobu made Mikoto infinitely more fascinated with the tiny creature.

"Is Nao here yet?" Natsuki asked curiously, even though the place was clearly deserted.

"Nope, no one here," Mai answered with a sigh and a slight frown marring her features.

"Business not doing well?" Natsuki inquired, glancing at the ramen stand. Everything looked ready for customers, but there were none to be found.

"No. The economy has driven off all of my business, but we're all right. We've lived off of the bare minimum for a while. How are things in the real world?" Mai asked as they went inside of the small house that she shared with Mikoto.

Mai placed Shinobu in her booster seat. Cookies decorated with pretty colors and faces were then eased in front of the child. Mikoto sat down in the chair next to the toddler and they shared the tasty treats with low conversation. Mai and Shizuru smiled at the scene.

"The real world is falling apart at the seams," Natsuki replied with a shrug.

"Natsuki is exaggerating. There is grumbling of change in some places. Have you heard about the uprisings in Cardair?" Shizuru asked the redhead.

"No, what happened?"

Shizuru and Natsuki filled Mai on current events as far as they knew, including a protest in Cardair that morning that involved more mass arrests and eight new deaths. Thankfully, there was no Otome involvement, mostly because there could not be since most Otome in Cardair were not connected to their GEMS and the ones that were did not seem willing to get involved in something that might end in the deaths of people. Mai looked like she could hardly believe it.

"How can the masters tell you, the principal, that you can't represent the Otome? And, how dare those Otome involve themselves in breaking up a peaceful demonstration? I've heard about these New Politics. I didn't think it was such a big deal because it didn't seem to be causing so much trouble," Mai said, shaking her head.

"Your brother?" Natsuki guessed.

Mai nodded. "He said that he studies it at his university and he talked my father into adopting some of the ideals. He recently passed a proclamation of rights for the people, giving them more freedoms and making most of them very happy. He's become known as Takumi the Enlightened." She smiled a bit, amused by the nickname.

Natsuki scoffed. "If only the rest of the world turned so easy."

"I don't see what the problem is. Takumi said that much of what he learned made sense. People and societies evolve and needs change. Of course, I really didn't know what he was talking about because I haven't been as read into the subject as he has," Mai commented with another laugh.

"Well, I agree with him all the way. He's a smart boy," Natsuki replied.

The conversation was cut short as Nao arrived. The youngest Otome flopped down on Mai's couch. Shinobu noticed the redhead and tried to climb down the chair, but seemed to think better of it as she looked down at how far the floor was. Mismatched eyes searched the small room for her parents.

"Momma, Kaa-san, Auntie Nao," Shinobu requested with her arms out.

"Ah, wouldn't you rather go to Auntie Mai?" Natsuki pouted as she helped her daughter out of the seat. Shinobu walked over to Nao on her own.

Nao picked up the girl and they hugged. That seemed to be enough for Shinobu, who wiggled out of the redhead's arms. She returned to Mikoto, tugging at her pant leg.

"Outside?" the child requested.

Mikoto looked up, knowing she needed the mothers' permission. Natsuki and Shizuru nodded at the same time. Mikoto grinned and grabbed up the child. While Mikoto had a very limited understanding of toddlers, she had learned how to watch Shinobu and watch out for Shinobu. She had also learned not to do everything Shinobu asked.

"So, Nao, what's going on?" Natsuki asked with a sigh. She really did not want to know.

"Well, Masujiro Danton is intense. He called for getting rid of the upper class and I don't think he meant just abolishing social status. He hates the Otome and will definitely try to get others to hate us. He seems to think the Otome keep the elite in power. Worst of all, he seemed to imply that the people should rise up and fight the Otome. Do you think it has some connection to the Mad Scientists?" Nao inquired.

Natsuki shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. He could just be referring to people getting fed up and going after the Otome with their bare hands. Gallagher-san reported that the Mad Scientists are from all of the world, so you can't pin them down to just Windbloom and there's no evidence that they have been in Windbloom."

"But, New Politics is a global movement, so the Mad Scientists could be connected to the Windbloom Reactionaries," Shizuru pointed out.

"I'll tell Gallagher-san to look into it," Natsuki conceded.

Nao nodded. "I'll try to find a connection, too. Straw said something interesting when he made his speech. He said that Queen Mashiro wasn't the true queen and the nobles lied. He made it like she was placed their as a puppet."

"I remember hearing rumors about that. I always dismissed it as just rumors, even though Mashiro-sama looks nothing like the late Queen or even a member of the Windbloom house," Shizuru said.

"Well, he plans to use that information to blackmail her into signing his Natural Rights Doctrine," Nao informed them.

"What's that?" Natsuki asked.

"It lays out twenty basic rights that he believe people naturally have. Most of them seem to come from things you can find in Aries, but it turns out that he's a trained lawyer. Guess where he studied law," Nao replied with a shrug.

"That does explain a lot, but how did he get information on Queen Mashiro? Aries wouldn't be looking into a foreign monarch in that manner," Natsuki said.

"I'll talk to my father to find out if it's true and talk to Haruka about what Aries might be doing," Shizuru said.

"I kinda hope it is true because his Natural Rights Doctrine actually sounded cool and it wouldn't be a bad thing for some countries around here to put them into practice," the youngest Otome commented.

"Rights shouldn't be gained through underhanded means. It undermines their importance," Shizuru argued.

Nao arched an eyebrow. "Natsuki, have you turned your wife into a follower of the New Philosophy?"

Emerald eyes rolled. "She turned herself."

"Is everything going to be all right?" Mai asked.

"We're working on it," Natsuki replied.

"Natsuki, we'll solve this problem," Shizuru assured her spouse, patting Natsuki's hand.

The principal was not so sure. It seemed bigger than them with the protests in Cardair and other countries seemed to be following suit. Artai had people taking to the streets about what happened in Cardair, also blaming the Otome for the violence. She was not confident in the Grand Duke of Artai being about to contain any violence if it were to erupt because he was still trying to secure power, years after gaining the country from his now imprisoned brother, Nagi.

People in other countries had similar situations, but they were not in danger of things escalating. The situation in Cardair and Windbloom seemed like things would get worse, though, especially Cardair. She hated to think about what could happen domestically and globally if they allowed things to continue on as they were.

"Natsuki, we're here to help," Mai promised in a soft tone, making the ebony-haired Otome realize how haunted she appeared.

"We're not going to let them fire you," Nao vowed.

Natsuki chuckled, surprised by the open support from her brother's girlfriend. "I'm not worried about being fired. It just feels like this is going to get bad. I can feel it in my bones and I want us to get ahead of it, but every day it's something new. Every day it spreads just a little further and gets just a little crazier. How far will it go before it explodes?"

"It might not explode," Shizuru pointed out.

Natsuki shook her head. "Cardair's a powder keg. Their reaction to the protest is only going to push people more. Two of the Emperors and many of the nobles aren't interested in giving into what the people want and the people aren't going to give up from what I can tell. We might be able to contain it there, but if things stop being all talk in Windbloom, the situation could get out of control. The two countries could easily tip Artai into the same problem and that could just have the whole region falling over the edge. I hate that the Otome might end up on the wrong end of this, no matter the end. This could end badly."

"It'll be fine. Be positive," Shizuru said.

"We have to get ahead of this," Natsuki stated with determination. She just was not sure how yet. There seemed like there was so much going on and she had to make sure it was not connected or that it did not connect eventually. _I won't let the masters have their way this time_.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru decided to go see her father that day, dragging Natsuki along, even though the principal was still upset with Dante. The Kruger family was surprised to see people on the street with the sun down, sneaking about the area, burying themselves in shadows. They were probably heading to clandestine meetings, which bothered Shizuru since they were in her family county.

The Viola section of the country was doing better than other parts, but that was not saying much since it was located in a struggling country. _Are my own people ready to rally against my father? Are they prepared to 'be rid' of my family?_ Her stomach twisted and she squeezed Natsuki's hand. The shorter woman squeezed back.

"Don't worry. It's not personal," Natsuki tried to assure her.

It felt personal, though. Her father was a good man and he did his best with his small piece of the country. How could anyone assume he had no respect for his fellow man? How could anyone think that he only cared about staying on top? Her father understood better than most that his position came with responsibility and he took that seriously.

"Natsuki, do you think they're right?" Shizuru asked in a small voice. She hoped her wife understood what she meant.

"I don't think generalizing is ever right. I like the ideas, but the rhetoric isn't as catchy anymore. The response to simple requests isn't working for me. I'm starting to feel there's no right here," Natsuki replied with a frown.

Shizuru nodded. Usually, she could handle grey areas, but they were not so close most of the time. She tried to shake it off, but when they got to the manor, she saw some of the outside garden had been destroyed and the wall was covered in hateful insults. _This feels really personal_. A spark ignited in her, but she maintained her control.

Her father was home alone; her mother and sister were out volunteering despite what people had done to their home. Natsuki made herself scarce, very serious about not forgiving him. Shizuru did not press and sat with her father in his study. He was at his desk, going over papers.

"When you were a little older than Binkie, you'd sneak in here and sit at my desk, pretending to do my paperwork. I always figured as soon as you could write, I'd get you to do it," Dante remarked with a warm smile.

Shizuru chuckled. "I pretended all the way until I left for Garderobe."

"Now, you'll just have to trick Natsuki into doing it when you retire."

"When Natsuki retires, I doubt she'll want to look at paperwork again. I'm not sure if I want to either."

"You'll have to because someday you will be the Countess Viola."

Shizuru glanced at the window. "Will there still be something to administer then?"

"I'm guessing you mean all of the unrest? No time is perfect and right now the people are hungry, scared, and angry. Things won't always be this way."

"When did they destroy the garden and wall?"

Dante frowned. "Early today. People were protesting the mass arrests in Cardair and it got out of hand. There are more police on the street now. Again, no time is perfect. If you think this bad, I'm glad you don't remember when they first began looking for the Princess. That was bedlam."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about Queen Mashiro. One of the Reactionary leaders claims to have proof that she is not the true queen. Could that be true? He wants to use the knowledge to blackmail the Queen."

Her father made a noise, which caused her to stare at him. He stared back before rising to his feet. He went into his safe, hidden in the floor. He pulled out a little tin box and handed it to her.

"What's this?" Shizuru asked as she popped it open. There was some wrinkled paper that she moved out of the way to reveal baby pictures. She knew the picture was not of her or her sister because the hair was too dark, almost black, and the baby had dark amber eyes. "Why do you have baby pictures of someone else's newborn baby?"

"Read the back."

Shizuru picked up the top photo and flipped it. "You're not the only one with a cute baby girl now!" It was signed by Sifr Fran. Crimson eyes went wide as she turned to her father. "This is the Queen?" she asked, not wanting to jump to any conclusions.

"That is the Queen's daughter. Bruce handed it to me personally after I was at court telling everyone that your mother was pregnant again."

"This looks nothing like Queen Mashiro."

"Indeed it does not. There has been loud and quiet controversy involving the Queen, where she was found, whom she belongs to, and dozens of other questions that no one seems to have the answers for. I can't tell you for sure that she isn't Queen Sifr Fran's child, but I do know that by the time she was brought to court, most didn't care. It brought an end to chaos in the kingdom, which was good enough for most."

"Not you."

"Of course not. King Bruce was my friend and he went through a lot of trouble to bring Sifr Fran to the throne. He wouldn't want just anyone on the throne. He'd want his niece. He'd at least want to know she's all right, but instead his nobles had failed him. The search for the little girl in that picture ended when Mashiro arrived, maybe even before then."

"What did you do?"

"I tried to continue the fight, but I didn't have the resources or the backing by that time. Most people just wanted to move on."

"You feel they should keep looking?" Shizuru guessed.

Dante sighed. "I feel she's out there. The people that brought Mashiro in were not to be trusted. They had few explanations for why they believed Mashiro was the Princess and what they did have was weak, but the people were restless and so were the nobles."

"Can it be proven?"

"There are several pictures of the baby and dozens of letters exchanged by dozens of nobles. If this Reactionary has somehow gotten any of that, it'll spark doubt. If he's found something from one of three now deceased noblemen that brought Mashiro to Windbloom, that could be much more significant."

Shizuru sighed. "That isn't good news, Otou-san."

"Don't shoot the messenger. Do you think he has something big?"

"I only met the man once, but I've come to believe he doesn't say things that he doesn't mean. He may be able to bring Queen Mashiro to her knees with this information. Who knows what he might do with that power, after giving everyone their equal rights, if he truly intends to even do that. You do know what they say about absolute power and all."

The nobleman nodded. "This is true, but it might not come to that."

Shizuru gave her father a deadpan look. "Queen Mashiro built an amusement park to solve the country's problems."

"She'll have to adapt or show her strength. This issue is going to come to light eventually. Too many people are aware or have suspicions. Maybe a person using it to get equal rights for everyone isn't the worst thing that could happen."

"You still agree with the Philosophy despite what's happening? What they did to the yard?"

"The people did that, not the Philosophy."

Shizuru nodded because he was right. Despite what happened with their home, the basic principle of the New Politics still stood out for them. People did deserve basic human rights. She just was not sure if they were going about it correctly, though.

"It'll turn out all right if the Queen is strong enough," Dante said.

"And if she's not?"

"Others will step up."

"I hope that's the case."

"Yes, but we have to hope those others are righteous. Or we'll end up with more problems on our hands."

Shizuru frowned. "That is also true."

"So, where's Natsuki-chan and little Binkie?" her father asked with a teasing smile.

The Otome chuckled at how swiftly her father changed subjects. "My Natsuki still hasn't forgiven you, so I'm not allowed to tell you where she is."

Her father only smiled, but it helped set Shizuru at ease. She went to retrieve her wife and daughter in order to return home. Shizuru did take Shinobu to see her father before they left. The pair visited only for a few minutes before the Kruger family began to make their way back home.

"Eventually, you'll have to see my Otou-san," Shizuru pointed out, speaking to Natsuki.

The younger woman scoffed. "No, I don't."

"Grandpa was funny with Momma," Shinobu giggled.

Natsuki frowned. "You see that? He made me a joke in front of my own kid."

"He didn't mean anything by it and Shinobu doesn't think you're a joke."

Natsuki's face fell. "He didn't mean anything by it? The man yanked my bikini top away in front of your whole family!" A burning blush rushed to her face as she obviously relived the trauma.

"To be fair, Natsuki reared back and that's why the top came off." Or that was how Shizuru remembered it anyway. It was hard to focus when there was a topless Natsuki in front of her and then she had to remember to cover her sister's eyes. She was sure that Natsuki was now the subject of many wet dreams for Daphne.

Natsuki growled. "Don't defend him."

Shizuru smiled and decided to drop it. They made their way home and had dinner. Once Shinobu was put to bed, Shizuru shared with Natsuki what her father told her. For a while, all Natsuki did was nod.

"This could be a problem if Straw has something particularly damning," the Second Column noted, staring off into the distance.

"What does Natsuki wish to do?"

"We can't do anything now beyond what we've been doing. Straw hasn't broken the law beyond having those meetings, but he definitely hasn't threatened the world in any way that allows us to take action. Besides, this might all die down. It flared up quickly and could die back down just as fast."

"I don't think it will," Shizuru admitted. It seemed to be escalating a little more each day.

"That makes two of us. There's a lot of different ways this could play out. We'll have to wait and see what happens down the road. So far, things are peaceful here and Artai as far as the demonstrations and such go."

"You're oddly optimistic."

Natsuki nodded, wrapping her arms around Shizuru. "I just want to retire quietly, so I really want this to calm down and we can get out of here before something new happens."

The Graceful Amethyst smiled and cuddled into her wife. She supposed that she would hope for the best too, instead of dwelling on the possibility of disaster. For a moment, she regretted dragging her career on because she was supposed to retire first. But, that did not last because she was still proud of being an Otome and she had done a lot of good during her career.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki frowned as she flipped through reports on the Mad Scientists, missing Otome technology, and the stolen ancient technology continued to come in. Mahya Blythe was following a trail that suggested the missing Otome technology was actually sold from somewhere in Artai. She hated seeing that government involved with anything and the fact that it might be involved in something to do with the Otome was even worse. She could feel a headache coming on already.

"Is Nagi pulling strings from behind bars or has one of his dozen siblings taken up his cause?" Natsuki wondered aloud. The name left a bad taste in her mouth. She decided to directly contact the Fifth Column to find out what was going. It was dangerous, but she wanted to get ahead of something, even though her gut was telling her they were already too late.

"Yes, principal?" Mahya answered immediately.

"I'm reading your report." She no longer trusted the lines direct communication because she did not know what the Otome against her might do, so she did not want to say much yet.

"I'll go to the next line."

"Good." They went to a secure line that only the Columns used.

"I've wanted to send you more, but it's hard to find a trustworthy messenger in times where Otome will tell their masters Garderobe business and read confidential information to pass along. Can we talk through this line more often?"

"We might have to. What do you have?"

"I'm almost certain that the Artai Marquis Renjiro sold his Otome's blood. The reason it came to us as 'technology' is because it became a rumor, but I'm almost sure he sold her blood."

"To who?"

"A man named Smith. I'm tracking him now."

"Where's that taking you?" Natsuki asked, even though she hated that she could guess.

"Would you believe Cardair?" Mahya remarked.

"Yes, I can. I'm starting to understand why the emperors feel they can tell their Otome to do things against Garderobe."

"They think they can use the stolen nanomachines in the Otome blood to make their own Otome?"

"Sounds like a perfectly reasonable evil plan," Natsuki deadpanned.

"But, why would the Marquis sell his Otome's blood? The same reason? You did ban them from the Otome program for three years. This could be his way of making sure that doesn't happen again."

The principal closed her eyes and rubbed her face. "It could be, but this is Nagi's brother. I feel like there's more to it than that, especially the timing of it all. We're missing too many pieces of this picture."

"I'll keep looking into it. I'm going to keep digging on this Smith guy and maybe find out what the Marquis has up his sleeve."

"I'll pay his brother a visit, get some insight. Mahya, this could be dangerous. If it seems like you're in trouble, drop it immediately and come for help."

"You don't have to worry about me, Headmistress. I can't believe people actually think you're trying to shut the program down. They don't know how hard you work for the Otome."

Natsuki sighed. "We all work hard. Speaking of hard work, thank you for yours."

"It's what I was born to do," Mahya chirped.

The communication was ended and Natsuki felt somewhat better at least knowing the Columns all stood by her. She moved onto Sara Gallagher's report. She had traced the origins of some of the scientists, but not many. A couple of them seemed to Reactionaries, but that did not tell her much. _I just hope they don't plan to arm the people or we could be in for a bloodbath on a massive scale_.

But, only a couple of scientists seemed to prescribe to the New Politics, so she doubted arming the general masses was on the agenda. No, it had something to do with fighting the Otome, though, so they needed to put the puzzle together. She scowled as she made it through the whole report only to find almost all of the scientists might as well be ghosts. There was no information on them, as if they did not exist. And then, Natsuki saw the date of the report.

"She should've sent something else in by now," the pale woman believed. Gallagher could not send in reports often, but she tried to keep a schedule, just in case she needed someone to notice for emergency reasons.

Natsuki was more than tempted to contact the First Column. She did not want to endanger Gallagher, which could happen if she was near her target and they could pick up communications. There was no telling what type if technology the Mad Scientists could have if they were capable of making the type of things she thought they made. She recalled her GEM being broken under the heel of Tomoe in a rush of blurry images and the jolts of pain as she was held captive. She did not want to accidentally put Sara though that.

She decided to give the First Column one more day to get in touch with her before trying to contact Gallagher. For now, she had her own investigation to conduct. She had to go see the former Grand Duke of Artai, Nagi.

-8-8-8-8-

Nagi lounged in his cell as if he had been in there of minutes instead of years. It made Natsuki wonder if maybe he was pulling the strings from behind bars. Maybe he had some kind of escape and rise to power plan that his brother was assisting him with. She did know he worked with a Smith before, so two arrows pointed to him.

"Principal Kruger, what a pleasure. I so rarely get guests," he commented with a smile, which was true. This was one of many reasons that told her he could not be involved. He was guarded quite closely, but there could always be a traitor amongst them helping him.

"Is that going to change?" she asked. She just wanted to see if the question sparked something in him, but there was nothing. She wondered if he had nothing.

"Not that I know of, unless the Queen has deigned to allow me visitors beyond you wretches," he replied with a sneer.

She scoffed. "Even if you were granted that bit of charity, who would care to come see you? We're the only ones that even bother to try."

He frowned for a split second, but that morphed into a predatory smile just as quickly. "Yes, and you usually only come because you want something. So, what is it you want?"

"Nothing. You've told me everything I need to know." She doubted he had anything to do with what was going on. No one had visited or would visit him.

He snarled and tore himself from his stone perch. "Tell me what's going on!"

Natsuki shook her head. "You don't know and you won't until it's over."

He went to grab her, but she was able to fling him away. He weighed next to nothing, so it would seem that no one smuggled the rich food that he was used to. He was on his own. She wondered if that was how his siblings operated. If so, Marquis Renjiro was probably working alone.

"What's going on?" Queen Mashiro asked as Natsuki emerged from the cell. She had insisted on accompanying the principal to the jail. Arika was right at the Queen's side, like she was supposed to be.

"A lot of nothing right now," Natsuki sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Does have anything to do with all of the people causing trouble?" the Queen inquired.

"No, that seems to be independent of this. I'm not sure what we're working with here." Whatever it was that they were "working with" it was giving her a huge headache. "I'll get to the bottom of it." She was off on that note.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru entered Natsuki's office with tea. Her spouse was busy with a report. Glancing at it, Shizuru saw it was from Mahya. She did not read it, but she watched as what little color Natsuki had drained from her face.

"Shit," the Second Column hissed, scowling deeply.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru scolded her. Shinobu was sitting on the floor.

"Sorry, but I need to get in touch with Sara. Mahya found out that the stolen Otome tech was given to a group of scientists in Cardair, one of whom worked on the site where the ancient technology went missing. It's all connected and she needs to know, but I haven't heard from her in so long!" Natsuki explained, even though Shizuru had no idea what her wife was babbling about.

Things made more sense after Natsuki tried to contact Sara Gallagher, but she could not. The troubled look in those emerald eyes let Shizuru know something was seriously wrong. She grabbed Natsuki's hand and held it tight.

"I can't get in touch with and her latest report is late. I think Gallagher-san is missing and I think the Mad Scientists have something to do with. They might now have a guinea pig for their tech," Natsuki gulped.

"We'll find her," Shizuru immediately vowed. _We will_.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the search for Sara Gallagher and the Otome in Cardair are in trouble.


	6. And another … and another …

I don't own these characters: Sunrise does. Well, except Shinobu and Kenta, who are mentioned in the chapter. Those two are mine.

6: And another … and another …

Natsuki had to call a meeting while also calling Mahya Blythe from her mission. The First Column had gone missing as far as Natsuki was concerned. They needed to start looking for her, especially if the Mad Scientists had gotten to her. Mahya had not been happy to be called off of her assignment until she learned Sara was out of reach.

The meeting was only between the Columns for now. Natsuki would wait for them to see if she needed to include other Otome. She knew that Miss Maria was going to invite herself in, but she did not mind. Hopefully, they would be able to put aside their political differences and the fact that Miss Maria was not happy that she stood by her punishment of the Cardair Otome. They had bigger things to worry about, after all.

Shizuru was the last person to arrive because she had to set Shinobu up with her babysitter, Natsuki's older brother Kenta. The pair was staying in the principal suite because Shizuru did not want Shinobu outside without her or Natsuki. The energy of Windbloom was much too charged. Kenta was in total agreement with that and did not seem at all offended by Shizuru's decision, despite the fact that it seemed to imply he could not protect his niece. He did not see the point in putting his niece in unnecessary danger.

"All right, principal, tell us what's going on?" Mahya asked as she paced the office.

"A lot is going on," Natsuki answered. "The most important thing is that Sara Gallagher might possibly be missing."

"Wait, what?" Mahya's mouth hung open. "You didn't say anything about missing before. You just said you couldn't get in contact with her."

"I don't have solid proof, but I'm not taking any chances. I haven't gotten a report from her in days, can't get into contact with her, and Yohko hasn't been able to track her GEM," Natsuki informed them all.

"That's more than enough proof," Miss Maria said. The Columns nodded in agreement.

"This is like when …" Shizuru had to take a deep breath to keep from shaking. "This is like when Tomoe kidnapped Natsuki. We weren't able to track your GEM, but Yohko-sensei was able to find the last place your GEM was activated."

"Have you tried tracking her last location?" Mahya inquired.

"Tried and failed. Her GEM is gone as far as we're concerned, as if it's been destroyed. She's gone as far as I'm concerned," Natsuki stated.

"No, as far as _we're_ concerned," Nao corrected her.

"What are we doing to find her?" Miss Maria demanded.

"Trying to pin down her last location, which is tough considering how quickly she moves in a day, which also says a lot of how quickly the Mad Scientists move in a day. They could be anywhere and like I said, her GEM seems to be completely destroyed, so it's hard to pin anything down right about now," Natsuki pointed out.

"Mad Scientists? Those were the scientists that Smith gave the blood to!" Mahya shouted, pacing much faster than before.

"Smith?" Shizuru echoed, turning her complete attention to her spouse.

Nao arched an eyebrow. "Blood?"

"I think the principal needs to catch us up," Miss Maria pointed out.

"It's much simpler than you think. The stolen Otome technology turned out to be the blood from Mariko, who is the Otome for Marquis Renjiro of Artai. He sold her blood to a man named Smith, who was hiding out in Cardair with the Mad Scientists group. The Mad Scientists are making anti-Otome technology based on what they learned from Mariko's blood and stole ancient technology that a couple of them were able to plunder from an archeological dig site," the pale woman told everyone in almost a single breath.

"What?" Nao asked in disbelief with her eyebrows drawn together and her hands thrown up in the air.

"That was simple?" Mahya wondered aloud, scratching her head.

"Why did Mariko give her Master her blood?" Shizuru inquired.

"The rumor is that he promised to marry her. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but right now, that's the best reason I can give you," Mahya explained with a slight shrug.

"When did you find all of this out?" Miss Maria asked, looking between the principal and the Fifth Column.

"It all just came together a day or so ago," Natsuki answered. "We need to find Sara. I fear she might be used as an experiment for these Mad Scientists. They might be the same group that made the tech that Tomoe used to hold me."

"If that's the case, they've had two years to improve their tech," Nao pointed out.

Natsuki nodded. "One of my many concerns about Sara at this point."

"How does this help the Marquis? Why would he sell his Otome's blood?" Miss Maria asked, trying to put together an even bigger picture.

"I haven't been able to find his reasoning. It could be that he's thrown his hand in with this Smith person for the promise of an army capable of fighting the Otome in some bid to conquer the world or something on a less grand scale. We all know how ambitious that House can be. Cardair may have a similar stake in it, wanting to build it's empire to former glory days, but this is all theory," Mahya told them.

"Right now, finding Sara is our top priority. I don't know if she's in trouble, but we can't take a chance," Natsuki stated.

"What are we going to do?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki leaned forward in her chair. "I've had Yohko-sensei improve her method for tracking nanomachines since my unfortunate vacation. Hopefully, if there are still nanomachines in her blood, we might be able to find Sara that way. I'll mobilize as many available Otome as possible to search the last area she reported from and spread out from there. Anything else?"

"Have you worked on other tracking methods? Looking for you was no picnic and we had a vague idea where to search. Gallagher could be anywhere by now and being hidden by pros, not some crazy lady. Plus, they have better tech than Tomoe," Nao pointed out.

"We'll have to see what Yohko-sensei has come up with."

"Are you going to reactivate the Cardair Otome so that they can help?" Miss Maria asked.

"No," the principal stated plainly. _Not a fucking chance!_ Especially considering the fact that things were not getting better in Cardair. She did not know what those Otome might do and she would prefer to not have to find out.

Miss Maria frowned, but Natsuki did not sit around to hear an argument. She marched everyone to Yohko's office while sending out a mass communication that people were needed to find Sara Gallagher. She was not surprised that Haruka Armitage was the first to show up in record time. Mai was not far behind her.

"What happened to Sara-chan?" Mai pleaded, grabbing onto Natsuki's hand. The principal gave her a supportive squeeze, hoping to keep her calm.

Natsuki went through the explanation for Mai and Haruka as quickly as she could. More Otome arrived as Yohko was setting up equipment for the search party to use. Unfortunately, some seemed more interested in chewing out Natsuki, especially Carla and Laula; the Otome from Lutesia Romulus and Lutesia Remus respectively. They both got into the principal's face as soon as they touched down.

"What did you do? Did you deactivate her GEM for defending herself, too?" Laula barked.

"Did you sacrifice her for some of your precious Reactionaries?" Carla chimed in.

Natsuki remained calm, but she turned red. "I don't have time for your blame. Sara is possibly in danger –" she tried to point out.

"Because of you!" Laula hollered.

"Whoa!" Mahya shouted. "This isn't the principal's fault! Sara was on a mission investigating a possible threat! What sort of example are you showing for the students by falsely blaming the principal of all people without any sort of facts and challenging her decisions with no idea as to what is going on!"

"If she was focused on the threat instead of getting lost in the New Politics, I'm sure we could've avoided this," Laula growled.

"What does Natsuki's beliefs have to do with possible enemies kidnapping Gallagher-san?" Shizuru asked, sliding dangerously close to the Lutesian Otome. Both jumped back, away from Natsuki and Shizuru.

"Now is not the time for blaming someone," Miss Maria told all of the Otome.

"Especially when there's no one to blame," Nao pointed out. "Gallagher-san went missing on a mission, like any of us could. She also did what the principal ordered her to for the good of the Otome and because the principal told her to. She didn't question the mission or bring up the principal's political beliefs for the hell of it."

"The Devil must be ice skating if Nao's defending me," Natsuki muttered, shaking her head.

The Second Column shrugged off the incident as if it was nothing because she felt like there were more important things to do. She directed everyone's attention to Yohko, who was able to narrow down the First Column's last known location. Unfortunately, it was a large, deserted mountain region.

"I've been able to update our tracking software, but at this point, Gallagher-san could seriously be anywhere on the planet. If she's underground by more than a mile, we won't be able to trace her nanomachines and her GEM remains completely off line without any trace of it ever existing beyond the last data it sent in," Yohko informed them.

"We'll do our best," Arika declared with the enthusiasm expected of her.

"Be careful. If these people were able to capture the First Column and disappear her, they're incredibly powerful. Don't take any unnecessary risks and stay in pairs." Natsuki looked dead at Haruka as she said that. "If you find her, call us to let us know where she is and we'll approach as a unit. We don't know what's going on, so we need to be cautious."

There were murmurs of agreement. Everyone paired up before going off to the location. Natsuki held Carla and Laula back for a moment, frowning at them.

"I know you're emotional, but if you ever question my decisions in front of the other Otome again, I swear you'll regret it," the principal vowed with heat in her gaze and steel in her voice. Everyone seemed to forget that Natsuki was strong and could handle her own if necessary. "Sitting behind a desk hasn't made me weak and my philosophy doesn't make me careless about the Otome."

The color drained from the pair's faces. Natsuki walked away, needing to join the search. She and Mai were together. She knew that she probably should have stayed at the school to keep everything together and organized, but she needed to be there for her best friend. Sara had been Mai's room attendant and Mai had been very attached to her.

"Do you think she's all right?" Mai asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Sara's tough. I'd bet money she's all right and probably giving the Mad Scientists hell," Natsuki remarked and she meant that. Any person whose personal hero was Haruka Armitage was not a person that went down easily. "I wouldn't be surprised if they want to pay us to take her back."

"She's not that bad. Wasn't she first girl you thought was adorable?"

Natsuki frowned to deny the changes. Silently, she hoped that she was right. If Sara was not all right, she doubted there would be enough of those damned Mad Scientists left to bury.

-8-8-8-8-

Yohko made sure all of the equipment was in working order from her console. She kept every team connected and kept a close eye on them through her monitors. Miss Maria stood in the background, watching the monitors, too.

"So, we've gotten to the point where Otome just attack the principal verbally and get up in her face, huh?" Yohko commented as if it was an everyday thing. She had not been around Garderobe for long, especially compared to Miss Maria, but she had never heard of, much less seen that happen before.

Miss Maria did the expected and frowned. "I don't condone their behavior."

"But, you stood by and let it happen. Once upon a time, that would not have been the case. Is Natsuki truly to be punished for her beliefs that have in no way affected her job?"

"No way? She deactivated several Otome for a month based on the fact that they defended their empire from a rebels uprising."

Yohko could not believe her ears. "It was a peaceful demonstration that didn't get out of control until the police showed up and escalated even more when the Otome showed up. Besides, Natsuki deactivated them for insubordination, nothing more. Are you upset that Natsuki isn't all for attacking and jailing any protestors? Never mind the fact that people died."

Miss Maria chose not to respond. Yohko did not question her further. She turned her complete attention to her monitors to focus on the problem at hand. They worked for a couple of hours and got nowhere. The only change from the vast emptiness of the search was a call from an Otome in Cardair.

"This is an emergency! People are trying to storm the palaces! We need all of the Cardair Otome activated or this could mean the death of an emperor!" the young woman reported with great urgency.

"I'll patch you through to the principal," Yohko replied.

The Otome groaned. "Where the hell is she? We're in trouble here!"

"It'll only take a second," Yohko stated in a sickeningly sweet voice, failing to hide her annoyance at the impatience of it all.

"Just activate the Otome before we end up with a dead emperor and his Otome," Miss Maria insisted.

"Natsuki, are you there?" Yohko asked.

"What's going on?" the Second Column replied.

"I'm connecting you right now to another problem," the Chief Medical Officer stated.

She linked the communication between Natsuki and the Cardair Otome. The exchange was short and Natsuki grunted her permission for activating the Otomes. She noted that Natsuki did not sound confident about her decision and she called the principal on it when the Otome was gone.

"You don't have to do this," Yohko said, hoping that Natsuki was not giving into pressure.

"I do if it is as bad as she says. Unfortunately, I can't check to see if it's as serious as she claims. I fear it isn't, but I can't take that chance," Natsuki pointed out. She wished that somehow Emperor Kazuya and Akane had made it back to the capital city in Cardair, but he was busy trying to calm things down in the rest of the country. She supposed she should just be happy that he was not the one that might die if protestors managed to force their way into the emperors spread palaces.

"I understand." Yohko followed orders and hoped that it was the right move to make. Natsuki did not need any more trouble in her life.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki had to call off the search as the day got away from them and it was clear that they were just spinning their wheels. No one had come across any evidence of Sara Gallagher and it looked like they were wasting their time, not that she would dare say that. As she told the Otome search party to head back to Garderobe, she had to listen to grumblings and disagreements.

"Hey, stop bellyaching!" Haruka barked. "Who the hell are you to talk back to the principal? Besides, she's right. We're getting nowhere!"

"We definitely need a new strategy or we'll just fly around the globe," Natsuki said.

"Doing nothing and helping no one," Mai added with a frown.

There were no more arguments after that. They began returning to the school. As they flew over Windbloom, Natsuki noticed a large group of people gathered in front of the palace. She decided to contact Nao.

"Yeah, boss?" Nao answered with a snicker.

"When you get to Windbloom, go see what the commotion is in front of the Palace. Keep Arika away from there for now. It could be dangerous if they see an Otome they recognize if that's one of the Reactionary rallies," she told the redhead.

"You got it," Nao replied.

"You and Nao seem to finally be getting along," Mai noted.

Natsuki only grunted to deny that charge. Mai smiled at her. The pale woman glared at her friend, but focused on the matters at hand. She had to think of some other way to find the First Column.

-8-8-8-8-

Nao was glad that she convinced Arika to take a back route to Garderobe because as she navigated the crowd, she knew that the impulsive, enthusiastic Otome would not have done well if she had seen the group when they returned from the search. She had left Arika at Garderobe with the orders of listening to everything Natsuki said and for Arika to take notes for her while she went to "check something out." That was good enough for the younger woman and that allowed Nao to go change into her street clothes before marching out into Windbloom.

The crowd was charged with incredible energy. Before Nao questioned what was going on, she needed to find out why the people were so riled up. She was able to spot someone that she knew, so she went to get the low down from him.

"Hey, man," she said to her friend, shaking his hand in greeting.

The guy grinned. "I was wondering if you'd show considering how much you're always going on about the New Politics."

"Today's been crazy for me. What's going on? Why the rally?"

He looked at her as if she had two heads. "Are you serious? You didn't hear about what happened in Cardair?"

"Like I said, today's been crazy. What happened In Cardair?"

"The fucking Otome and army killed over two hundred people that stormed Emperor Balthasar's palace after hearing that he's living in luxury and they're just as poor as we are. The people that weren't killed were arrested and thrown into the dungeon. The same thing happened at the other emperor's palace, but not as many people were killed. It was over a thousand people that rose up, only to get knocked down by the Privileged and their fucking dogs."

Nao winced. "Shit. That is bad. So, are we gathered against what happened there to support the people in Cardair or are we asking for rights to make sure something like that doesn't happen here or both?"

"Straw is planning to make a speech about rights and about what happened in Cardair could easily happen here because we don't have any rights, so I guess it would be both."

The redhead nodded. "That's true. We rise and fall by the whim of the Queen. What else?"

"We've been calling for the Queen to openly support the people of Cardair and condemn the actions of the Emperors and Otome."

Nao's brow wrinkled. "That's not going to work."

"Don't be so negative. Maybe the Queen can be made to listen."

Those words sounded ominous to Nao. She was tempted to call Natsuki, but held off. Nothing was serious yet. It was a peaceful gathering and could stay that way. Windbloom did not seem as quick to pull the army or send out Otome like Cardair.

"Made to listen?" Nao echoed with the hope that he would elaborate.

He only shrugged. She wondered if she might have to reveal her Otome status if Mashiro happened to make an appearance. She would do so if the Queen were in danger since she had directed Arika to Garderobe, even if it was at Natsuki's request. She would lose a lot of friends outside those in her Otome sphere and make just as many enemies in an instant, which did not bother her too much. The general public's opinion of the Otome seemed to be at an all time low, but she was aware that was because approval rating of the people they supposedly protected was at an all time low and still dropping. She suspected that if things did not change, they would find their approval rating in the subzero area.

She shook her thoughts away as Maximilian Straw came into view. He stood on a ladder in front of everyone, right at the palace gates. He had a bullhorn in hand and cleared his throat before he started to speak.

"Today in Cardair, we saw a monarchy out of control! Drunk on it's own inappropriate perception of power, the emperors eat as if all is well in the world while the people starve in the streets! They dine on rich foods while we toil in the mud and dirt! But, hasn't that always been the case? For too long we have allowed the noble class, the royalists, _the Privileged_," the word was sneered and spat out. " … to take the food right out of our mouths, right out of our children's mouths! And when the people dare to challenge them on this now, dare to challenge an emperor on this, challenge his right watch them waste away, he has them killed and unjustly imprisoned for having the nerve to be hungry!" Maximilian began, raising his fist at the injustice of it all.

Of course, the crowd was in the palm of his hand and they cheered. Nao actually wanted to cheer, too. She knew the pains of hunger well in Artai. She knew what it was like to live in the shadows of the monarchy, diving for scraps from the nobles. She also knew the draconian punishments that came along with trying to do something to the nobility, so she was not surprised over two hundred people were dead in Cardair. But, she did not have to accept it.

"You look around and think that could not be you? You say the Queen is not so cruel anymore? If the Queen woke up tomorrow and decided to imprison anyone with blond hair, she could! Why? Because she holds the power! We gave her the power and in return she gives us high unemployment, poverty, and a brilliant amusement park! It can happen here because you don't have any rights as her subject. That's all you are – a peasant that is subject to her whims! What happened in Cardair could happen here or anywhere else the monarchy is absolute! We have to take back the power! We have to demand rights! We have to make sure what happened in Cardair doesn't happen here or anywhere else!" he proclaimed.

The crowd cheered and Nao was with them on that one. She had not seen any evidence that having one person in complete and total control over did any good for the common people. She was convinced that if she were not an Otome, she would be a Reactionary to the fullest extent.

"I have sent Queen Mashiro my proposal for granting our natural rights to make sure that we can all live peaceably! To make sure that we can live without fear! To make sure that we can't be given death sentences just for being hungry! We have to demand that the Queen that the document seriously! I have also attached with the documents, instruments that will make the Queen listen to our voices, as is the way it should be! We have rights! We have voices! We will be heard!"

The crowd roared. Before Maximilian could continued, the police showed up and chased the crowd off. There were no arrests made, but apparently the Queen felt threatened by the hyped crowd that was right outside her door. Nao wondered why that was and wondered what "instruments" Maximilian Straw had used to try to persuade the Queen.

"Natsuki or Shizuru might be able to find out, but I should be able to get Arika to tell me." The redhead rushed off, returning to Garderobe.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki frowned as Nao reported to her what was going on in Windbloom. She turned her attention to Miss Maria, storming over to the ancient Otome. She grabbed the woman by the shoulder and pulled her out of earshot of the other Otome, who were gathered together after their failed search attempt. Miss Maria snatched herself back from the principal, who growled.

"Do you know what the hell happened in Cardair?" Natsuki demanded.

"The Otome defended their Masters as they were supposed to," Miss Maria said.

"Over two hundred people died!" Natsuki hissed.

"Attacking the Otome and their Masters."

"Do you live inside a little bubble or something? This isn't something that's confined to the Empire! The whole world has seen this and the people, especially the Reactionaries are going to use this against us! This isn't like the Great Lutesian Rebellion! It's not happening in a single country. It's a global phenomenon and we're on the bad end of it," Natsuki hissed.

"We're here to protect our masters and don't bring the Rebellion up. You don't know what happened. You don't know the horrors people are capable of when there's no order."

"You don't seem to see the horror people are capable of with absolute power. Two hundred people dead are just a sacrifice for the grater order, arresting and holding people without charges is for the greater order, and best of all, keeping everyone down with fear and threats is for the greater order? Nothing is worth this price, Miss Maria. Nothing," Natsuki stated with a glare, turning away and returning to the Otome group.

She knew that the situation in Cardair was going to ruin the Otome image, especially if those Otome had been filmed killing someone. If there were images, she was sure that they would surface soon enough and things would explode. She did not need this, not with Sara Gallagher missing. She had no idea how to spin the Cardair mess to slow the damage or at least somehow explain things to show that Otome were not only for the nobles as they seemed to be in Cardair.

"What's wrong?" Shizuru asked as soon as her wife was close.

"Everything. Go with Arika to the palace and check on Queen Mashiro. I need to focus on finding Sara," Natsuki replied.

"Do you know what you're going to do about Gallagher-san?"

Natsuki scoffed; _I don't know what I'm going to do about life right now_. She hurried her spouse away with Arika, hoping that Shizuru would be able to get information to Mashiro and advise the Queen on her reactions to the protests. Nao decided to go with them, which was fine by Natsuki. The principal had to deal with the group of rowdy Otome. She hoped that they remained in the dark about things because she knew that if they found out what happened, they would get worse, especially Shiho, who still held onto her ultra-nationalist views, even though she was the Otome of another country.

"What were you discussing with Miss Maria?" Carla inquired, a hint of accusation in her tone. The other Otome seemed to sway around her, also wanting to know the answer.

"My own business," Natsuki stated. Carla looked like she wanted to reach out and touch the pale woman, but thought better of it. Natsuki did not bother with sparing her a glance and moved over to the Chief Medical officer. "Yohko-sensei, you got any ideas?"

The doctor flinched slightly, not expecting Natsuki to be right over her shoulder. "The best I can do is try to send a signal to her nanomachines and try to jump start them enough to show up on screen, but this can only work if she's somewhere that signal can reach," Yohko said, turning to her console. "We need to start belling you lot or something."

"What if that doesn't work?" Mai asked.

The doctor glanced at Natsuki. "Fearless leader?"

"I don't know, but I'll think of something," Natsuki stated with conviction. She had to think of something if this did not work.

-8-8-8-8-

Mashiro threw herself into Arika's arms as soon as they saw each other. Shizuru and Nao stood back as the pair greeted each other. Mashiro seemed to burrow into her Otome's neck, sniffling. She then noticed that they were not alone.

"Why are you here?" the Queen demanded, standing upright.

"We're just here to help, your Highness," Shizuru assured her, lowering her head slightly as a bow. She knew that things had to feel like they were falling apart for Mashiro.

"How can you help? I've been doing my best to improve this god-forsaken country and these people still think I'm horrible! I've been receiving death threats and now people are actually trying to blackmail me into doing what they want!" Mashiro screamed, stomping her foot.

"Blackmail you? Using what and why didn't you tell me?" Arika demanded, staring down at the Queen. "Tell me now."

"No, I don't care to repeat the ludicrous charges," Mashiro stated, trying to wave it off and she turned her nose up.

"Tell me. I won't let anyone hurt you," Arika assured the Queen, gently grabbing Mashiro by her biceps. "So, tell me."

The Queen glared at the extra Otome in the room. "This isn't for mixed company."

"They'll help. You know you can trust them," Arika promised her.

Mashiro frowned. "Not out in the open."

They all nodded and followed the Queen into an office space. She paced until Arika took Mashiro into her arms and held her still. Shizuru and Nao were actually used to the sight and waited patiently for Mashiro to get herself together.

"Days ago that awful man Maximilian Straw sent an ultimatum to me. He told me to sign his Doctrine of the Natural Rights of citizens or he would release evidence that I'm not who I say I am," Mashiro explained.

"What do you mean?" Arika inquired.

"He sent documents, copies of documents anyway, and pictures that he claimed were me as a baby. One was a birth certificate that claimed I was Mashiro De Artai. He had so many things," the Queen explained, shaking her head. "And with this climate people will believe him!" She stomped her foot again.

"We'll just explain he's a liar," Arika declared.

"It's not simple. People love him right now," Nao pointed out. Thankfully, she did not add how the people felt about Mashiro, even though she doubted that Mashiro and Akira fully understood how the people of Windbloom currently felt.

"And there have been rumors, so people won't be so quick to believe these are lies. Mashiro-sama, I beg of you not to act rashly. There has to be some solution to this problem," Shizuru said.

"Well, I won't be bullied into signing laws I don't agree with!" Mashiro proclaimed. Nao flinched.

"Please, your highness, give us time to figure out how to help," Shizuru begged.

"You have until tomorrow when I'll have guards arrest Maximilian Straw and be done with this whole matter," Mashiro declared. Shizuru groaned; Natsuki was not going to happy to hear that.

-8-8-8-8-

Sara Gallagher groaned as she regained consciousness. She felt a cold, hard concrete floor underneath her. She picked her sore body up and found that everything hurt. She wobbled, but managed to stay on her feet.

"Hey, where am I?" the First Column called into the dark room.

"Where isn't important. Just know that you're about to help us realize our goals. We should be able to defeat your powers and then move on helping rid the world of your kind and begin things anew," a voice proclaimed.

"Like hell you will! I won't let that happen!" Even if they did get to her, she was certain the other Otome would not go down without a powerful fight. They would not lose … or so she hoped.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Kruger family moment and things get worse.

A/N: I know "Laula" is not the name of the character according to fanfiction's character list and also from other sources, but for some reason, I prefer it to "Laura" for her. Maybe it's because that was the name I first saw on Wikipedia. I dunno. I hope you guys can live with it.


	7. Lighter fluid

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does. I do own Shinobu, though.

7: Lighter fluid

Natsuki was stuck in her office, head in her hands and a frown marring her face. She had lost Sara Gallagher and she had no idea how to find the missing Otome. Yohko's last resort had yielded no results and the Otome that had come to search were getting restless, restless and angry. She had been called out by virtue of her position and had failed as far as everyone was concerned, herself included. She was not able to think of something that would help them find the First Column.

Making matters worse, she had managed to catch herself up with affairs in Cardair. There were plenty of Otome in the Empire, but the focus was on less than a dozen that aided in the murder of hundreds of Cardairian people and Natsuki meant murdered. Those people had the equivalent of sticks and stones against well trained Otome. There was no honor in killing them. Those Otome would awake in the morning and find themselves disconnected from their GEMs. She would prepare herself for the arguments and headaches that she would surely face in the morning.

Speaking of the morning, she had to figure out how to keep Mashiro from taking on Maximilian Straw with the single-minded plan of arresting Straw for his blackmail. She almost wished that Shizuru had not told her about that. She had little sway with Mashiro and the best she had come up with was to leave him be, which the Queen did not agree because she felt like he would go public with his evidence.

She had just finished arguing with Mashiro over why she should just call Straw's bluff. She believed that Mashiro should let the evidence come out because her popularity was already at an all time low just because of the political climate. Mashiro seemed to think that the evidence would ruin her. Natsuki was of the mind that arresting Straw would bring the hot climate to a boil, which would ruin her, but Mashiro dismissed her. Lately, it seemed like everything Natsuki said to everyone was dismissed as nonsense or sympathy for the Reactionaries. It all just made her headache and her stomach toss.

"Natsuki," Shizuru called into the office. She stepped inside with their daughter in her arms.

"Hmm?" Natsuki lifted her head.

"Come home, Natsuki, and go to bed," the Third Column begged. Her face looked slightly stricken.

The principal sighed and looked around her office. She did not like what she saw. She was honestly sick of being in there. She was sick of being in charge and ignored. She stood and rushed to her wife and child, embracing them tightly. Shizuru returned the hug, rubbing her wife's back.

"I know it feels like the weight of the world is on Natsuki's shoulders, but you can put it all down. You don't have to be the principal with us. We just need you to be Natsuki and Momma," Shizuru whispered, kissing her spouse's cheek.

"Right now, that's all I want to be, but people are counting on me," Natsuki replied.

"Momma," Shinobu groaned, wrapping her arms tightly around Natsuki. The child had not seen Natsuki all day, which she was totally unused to, and did not like if her tight scowl meant anything.

"Yes, people are counting on you, little people like your dear Spooky." Shizuru ran a hand through Shinobu's hair.

Natsuki smiled and kissed the toddler's forehead. She then pressed her own forehead to her spouse's. Shizuru tilted her head just enough to give Natsuki a sweet, uplifting kiss. Crimson eyes locked with emerald ones.

"Come home. You won't get any answers sitting here in the dark, hungry, and lost in your own thoughts. Come home," Shizuru implored.

The pale woman gave a short nod. Shizuru eased Shinobu into Natsuki's hands. Natsuki hugged the toddler to her before taking Shizuru's hand. Shinobu smiled and curled into Natsuki's chest. The Kruger family went to their apartment. Suddenly, Natsuki could not even consider it home. It was the Principal Suite, not the Kruger home. She tried to shake that thought away, wanting to just enjoy her family. It did not matter where they were. _Well, maybe it matters a little because Spooky deserves a home. Shizuru deserves a home._

"I made dinner. How about we eat and then we take a family bath?" Shizuru suggested, which freed Natsuki from her thoughts.

"Bath time!" Shinobu cheered, throwing her hands up in full approval.

"It sounds wonderful," Natsuki smiled.

Natsuki put Shinobu down into her chair and then set the table. Shizuru served dinner and they ate in a comfortable silence. Natsuki realized she was able to relax and breathe for the first time that day. Finally, she was not arguing or fighting or worrying. She was just being with her precious family.

"I love you both so much," Natsuki told them, reaching out to hold Shizuru's hand and hold their daughter's hand as well.

"We love you, Momma!" Shinobu replied.

The loud, but incredibly sincere statement lifted Natsuki's spirit considerably. The family bath helped melt away the rest of her tension. By the time she and Shizuru went to bed, she almost felt guilty for accepting Shizuru's offer of a massage.

"Natsuki, I know times have gotten rough quickly, but you can walk away," Shizuru pointed out as she worked on tense pale shoulders.

"I can't walk away until we find Sara. Right now, she's my first priority. Maybe my only priority considering how many people have decided my opinion doesn't matter or think they know why I do what I do or what I don't do. When did I become so superfluous?"

"You are not superfluous, my love. Some people have changed and not for the better. As for the Queen not going along with your plan, she wants to exert her power, show her strength. She also wants to prove the evidence wrong and show that she is the late queen's child and show that she can live up to her mother's status."

"That's ridiculous reasoning. She's only going to make things worse. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have said that to her," Natsuki realized. She had let her aggravation get the better of her for a moment while speaking with Queen Mashiro and while she had not said anything outrageous, she knew that she had said some things that Mashiro would not take the right way.

"You were frustrated. You're bearing such a heavy load and everyone has their own agenda, so they think you have one, too."

"I do."

Shizuru smiled. "I meant a personal, selfish agenda. You're trying to do some good and they're trying to get ahead, even the Otome. They're against you because they fear you'll let your personal beliefs stand in the way of doing your job and that it'll somehow cost them their positions and dreams and whatever else encompasses them being Otome, but you're not like that. It doesn't help that a few Otome know that you think the Otome shouldn't exist anymore and you've thought that since we were students."

Natsuki sighed. "It's such a flawed system. I've tried to fix it as much as I can, but it needs more work and now I can't fix anything without someone swearing that I'm a slave to the New Politics."

Shizuru leaned down and kissed in between creamy shoulders. "Please, don't stress yourself out. Maybe after we get Gallagher-san back, we can both retire. This can be someone else's problem."

A scoff escaped the smaller woman. "That's just what these people want."

"You're going to drive yourself crazy to prove them wrong?"

"I just want to do the right thing."

"Beloved, sometimes you have to do the right thing for yourself, for your family. We don't like seeing you like this."

Natsuki sighed, but she did not argue. She did not want to get wrapped up in the politics of the Otome. She did want to enjoy her family. If she retired after they found the First Column, she would still have a rather impressive legacy. There was no shame, except the whispers on her own beliefs. The beliefs that kept her from doing anything beyond paperwork now because the Council and other Otome swear that she was trying to take the whole thing down from the inside.

"Maybe I will do the right thing for us," the pale woman muttered as her eyes drifted shut. Shizuru continued on with the massage and Natsuki hoped that she could keep this relaxed feeling for a while.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki watched the news all day waiting for the moment that Mashiro's mistake was aired. Part of her hoped that Mashiro would not go through with it or would at least arrest him quietly, which would lead to other problems in the long run, but would not be as bad as trying to show she was the one with the power. _Doesn't she understand that's the problem? No, because she refuses advisers that aren't Arika and Aoi-san_.

Of course, Mashiro had to do things big. Palace guards were on film as they stormed into Maximilian Straw's house, which was one fallen board away from being a hovel. That was surprising since he was an educated lawyer, but she guessed it was hard to make money as a lawyer if all of his clients were poor, if he had any clients anymore. He might have devoted himself completely to his cause. He was home, sitting at his desk, as if he was waiting for them. Natsuki felt a knot in her stomach as they busted things in his house and dragged him from whatever it was he was writing.

People were outside screaming and throwing things at the guards as they pulled Straw out into the street. He looked smug while the guards tried to get through the furious mob to their armored car.

"People, now is not the time for violence! Don't give them an excuse to turn this into Cardair! The Queen has no right to hold me and I'm sure she'll see reason!" Straw announced. His words calmed people down enough for the guards to drag him away, but Natsuki knew that was only the beginning. The Queen would not "see reason" and eventually the people would allow their rage to get to them because he was likely not going to be released from the dungeon.

"Fuck," the principal sighed, shaking her head. "You know what, it's not my problem." She did not need to get involved. Mashiro had rejected her advice and that was that. She needed to focus on finding Sara.

She had decided to try to track members of the Mad Scientists that Sara had been able to identify. Unfortunately, they were just as hard to pin down. They popped up in places sporadically with no rhyme or reason. She growled and then decided to look up Smith, trying to find out more about him. The only thing that came up was the John Smith that helped Nagi in his mad quest. She was not sure if it was the same man or not.

"Natsuki, are you seeing what's going on in Windbloom?" Nao demanded as she burst into the office.

"If you mean the arrest of Maximilian Straw, I just watched it," Natsuki replied.

Nao made a face and reeled back. "Are you kidding me? That happened this morning! Masujiro Danton called a rally, ordering Mashiro-sama to release Straw from prison. She refused, telling him that she was in charge and she would do what she damn well pleased. The people began rioting! They're tearing down her planned amusement park and probably going to do more than that!"

Natsuki sighed and put on the television that was mounted on her wall. She was not surprised that the local news not showing what Nao was talking about. Censorship was becoming an art form in some countries and Windbloom was definitely amongst them. She had to tip her hat to Mashiro for at least understanding that, but something told her that nobles and wealthy people had more to with it than the Queen herself.

"There's an Aries news station in the area," Nao told her.

"Why?" Natsuki asked while trying to find the channel.

"They like the New Politics and the leaders here, so they've been poking around for months."

Natsuki nodded and finally found the channel. She could not believe her eyes as people in Windbloom ripped the gates of the Queen's amusement park with their bare hands. There was screaming, shouting, and the people looked almost like animals. A few people could be heard calling for the release of Maximilian Straw.

"This isn't good," Natsuki murmured, shaking her head slightly.

"No shit, so, what are we going to do?" the redhead inquired.

For a moment, the pale woman was silent. "I have to focus on finding Sara Gallagher. She's my number one priority."

Nao's mouth dropped open. "This is our backyard! It could get worse!"

"What do you want me to do?" the older woman bellowed. "What the hell do you want me to do about it? Send out Otome to help put people in jail or to help the people tear down the fucking amusement park? What the fuck do you want me to do?" Emerald eyes erupted and Natsuki threw her hands up, flinging her arms out violently.

The redhead stepped back, blinking several times. "I … I …"

"What? Nao, tell me what I should do," Natsuki ordered, beating on her chest.

"Natsuki …" Nao whispered, blinking several times.

"I have to find Sara Gallagher, Nao. That's what I have to do. That's what's important," Natsuki declared.

The Fourth Column seemed confused and speechless. She did not have to say anything as others burst into the principal's office. Natsuki dropped into her chair as the Otome that were supposed to be there to help find Sara Gallagher rushed in, all speaking at the same time. A pounding began at the side of Natsuki's head.

"So, what now?" the principal asked, wondering what fresh Hell they wanted to put her through.

"We need to be out there putting a stop to this chaos!"

"We have to go out there and make sure no one gets hurt!"

"We–"

"Enough!" Natsuki screamed at the top of her lungs. "You all fail to realize we have no influence or business in Windbloom! The Queen has not asked and I haven't approved anything."

"Well, maybe the Council will!"

"Then go to your precious fucking Council!" Natsuki roared, face flushed burgundy with anger. "Let them butt in on a people's issue, a national issue, and make things worse for the Otome! I'm trying to find the First Column! You do what the fuck you want to do!" She then stormed out of her own office.

-8-8-8-8-

Amber eyes danced with delight as the Marquis Renjiro of Artai as he watched the destruction happening in Windbloom. He brushed his dark violet darks out of his eyes as he reached for the phone. A smirk played on his lips.

"Make sure the weapons arrive soon. I've got men at the ready to go into Windbloom," he stated.

"We're moving now."

"Are we sure everything is lined up?" the Marquis inquired.

"Everything is lined up."

"Good." He hung up the phone and a devilish smirk played on his lips. "Now, let's see what happens."

-8-8-8-8-

Sara felt herself being pulled to her feet. She could barely move, feeling dizzy and nauseous. She did her best not to throw up, but found it difficult because the people carrying her were shaking her. They exited the room and the bright lights of new area blinded her. She could hear a lot of noise, but could not make out what was happening around her.

"Why don't we just kill her?" someone very near to her asked.

"We need her for now, until we get another practice dummy." This was followed by sinister laughter that sent a shiver of dread through the young Column.

Sara tried to move, tried to fight back, but found it impossible to do anything beyond remain conscious and listen. A grunt barely escaped her as she was tossed onto a hard surface. It felt like the flatbed of something, cold and steel. She felt things being jabbed against her, like crates, but they were covered, so she could not tell. She wished that she could contact the principal, but she had tried dozens of times. All she could do was hope that the principal was as smart as she remembered.

After a few minutes, she tried wiggling again, but found that her body could not move at all. She was not sure what they had done to her, having been unconscious most of the time. She recalled being shot, but thought it might have been a dream. So much seemed like it might be a dream because everything was hazy and her brain hurt whenever she tried to form a coherent thought. The fact that she was a prisoner was a huge nightmare and the fact that she could not move only added to it. _I can't believe this! I'm the freaking First Column!_

She felt dizzy again and everything got fuzzy. Thinking seemed to wear her out now. She had never felt so useless and worthless in her whole life. Tears came easily, but also took a lot out of her. She passed out after a few tears dripped onto floor just as the sound of an engine starting echoed through the confined space.

-8-8-8-8-

All Hell had broken loose in Windbloom after Mashiro ordered the police to stop people from ripping apart her amusement park. The people attacked the police with whatever they could get their hands on, mostly pieces of the ruined park. Now, she stood at the palace window watching as they set fire to what remained of the amusement park. Hot, angry tears gathered in her eyes.

"Ungrateful wretches! I was building that for you!" the Queen screamed, causing her face to go red.

"What should we do?" Arika asked, putting her hand on her Master's shoulder.

"Maybe you should go out there. You could talk to them. They like you."

Arika nodded. The people did have a soft spot for the impulsive Otome. She had saved the kingdom and world before. She had no problem with mingling with the people and she could relate to them sometimes. She was warm and friendly, too.

"I'll try," Arika said.

"Be careful," Mashiro begged, grabbing her Otome's hand and squeezing hard.

Arika smiled and kissed the Queen's forehead. "It'll be fine," the Otome declared nonchalantly. She was off before Mashiro could say anything else.

"I hope so," Mashiro whispered, swallowing around a lump in her throat.

Arika flew out, but did not get a chance to say anything because as soon as people noticed her, they began throwing things. There were angry shouts and profane language along with the projectiles. She tried to land, but they made it impossible. She had to retreat since she did not want to hurt anyone.

"They're not listening," Arika reported to her Master.

"Why are they doing this? What do they want?" Mashiro asked in tearful tone as she threw her hands around her Otome. "What are we going do?" she inquired in a small voice.

"I don't know. They just seem so angry. Maybe we should ask for help."

"Aoi. Aoi will know what to do!" the Queen proclaimed with hope sparkling in her eyes.

Arika did not argue and pulled Mashiro to a couch to sit while a servant went to fetch Aoi. The maid was on the phone as she approached the Queen and her Otome. The troubled look on her face did not instill Mashiro with confidence. Aoi lowered the phone and bowed to both women.

"You called for me, Highness?" Aoi asked.

"You can finish your phone call," Mashiro replied, motioning to the phone.

Aoi nodded and smiled before putting the phone back to her ear. "Chie, everything is fine. I promise. You stay and help them find the missing Otome. Really, it's fine. No, you don't need to ask Natsuki-sama to help. We're fine, I promise. Love you, too, sweetheart." She ended the call.

"We should ask Natsuki-sama for help! Or Shizuru-sama!" Arika suggested with a bright grin.

"Aoi, what do you think we should do?" Mashiro asked.

The maid furrowed her brow. "Should do in terms of what?"

"How do we get the people to stop messing everything up and start listening again?" the Queen inquired with a puzzled expression.

"I'm not sure. Chie was saying that the people are calling for the release of Maximilian Straw –" Aoi was cut off.

"I will not release that man!" Mashiro roared, leaping to her feet with her fist in the air.

"Well, that's what the people want," Aoi said with a small shrug.

"Then they had better change their minds because that isn't happening!"

"You could always arrest people for destroying royal property," the maid suggested.

"I could," Mashiro considered.

"Uh … I don't think you should do that," Arika spoke up. "While we were looking for Gallagher-san something like this happened in Cardair. I wasn't paying attention to most it, but Natsuki-sama seemed really upset that people got killed and arrested."

Mashiro scowled. "I don't care what Natsuki-sama thinks! She's just a school principal! I am the Queen and I won't be disrespected, second-guessed, or told what to do! We will begin rounding up the people involved in this riot right now and put them right in the dungeon with their precious Maximilian Straw!"

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru had to go check on her family and was happy to see that the rioting in the capital had not made its way out into the countryside. Life seemed almost peaceful in her father's county, but she was all too aware that one false move could send the people over the edge. She also knew that the Reactionaries were already in Viola county and probably just waiting for word on what was happening in the capital. She hoped that the Queen treaded lightly, but she doubted it because Mashiro was not known for her subtly or delicate handling of things.

"It's good to see you're all right. Are Natsuki and Shinobu fine as well?" Dante asked as Shizuru entered the foyer.

"They're fine. I wanted to make sure you're all right," Shizuru explained.

"We're all fine. All of the trouble's in the capital," Shizue pointed out.

The Third Column sighed. "This is true, but it's only a matter of time before things spread to the provinces if the Queen doesn't handle this matter properly."

"Then it's only a matter of time before that mess reaches here," Daphne stated. "The Queen can't be trusted to handle a bowl of fruit properly."

Shizuru nodded. "I fear that to be the case."

"But, you don't have to fear for us, Shizuru. We can all handle ourselves and we all know how to handle matters as delicately as possible," her father reminded her. Not that she needed the reminder, he had taught her, after all.

"I know, but I still had to make sure you were all okay," the Otome replied. She was pleased that the property had not been vandalized, but she knew that her father had mentioned to put more police on the streets, so that might help keep the peace.

"We'll be fine. Go back to work and go back to your family. Visit when you have time," her mother told her.

Shizuru nodded and hugged each one of them before returning to Garderobe. It was a mess in the school. The Otome were arguing over helping the situation in Windbloom, but many of the suggestions involved a use of force that Natsuki would not agree to. Making matters worse, many of them had lost sight of the original reason why they had gathered at the school in the first place.

Instead, they invaded Natsuki's office, making demands of her. They threatened her with talks of the Council and meetings between the Otome and the Masters. Shizuru looked into her wife's eyes and saw the usual defiance, but there was a hint of sorrow. Natsuki was so sad that things had come to this.

"No one is going into Windbloom! No one!" the principal shouted while banging on her desk with a tight fist. "I don't know why you can't see how many things are wrong with that! Do I need to spell it out for you? One, the Queen hasn't asked for our help. You just being there could cause a huge international incident! Two, if you help her arrest people that are already fed up and hate Otome guess who they're going to hate even more and what they'll continue to do?"

"The people don't matter! We're supposed to keep the world safe!" one of the almost thirty women in the office shouted. There were some clamored agreements that seemed to give Natsuki an instant headache since she brought one hand up to massage her temple.

"There's a huge difference between keeping the world safe and interfering with a country's autonomy. We're not the world police and that has never been our function," Natsuki pointed out as Shizuru made her way to her wife's side.

"So, we're supposed to just sit back and watch people rip countries apart and attack other Otome?" another woman demanded.

"We're not the world police," Natsuki repeated.

"No, you just want to see all of the monarchies fall for your precious, self-serving New Politics! You're so transparent, principal." The title was spat out of the Otome's mouth with open disgust.

"Because it isn't self-serving to want to put down a people's rebellion against the very masters that employ you," Natsuki snapped.

"No, it's so much better to let the people kill those you're sworn to protect," someone else sniped.

"Ara, ara, I see the debate has changed since my departure. I thought we were trying to find Gallagher-san," Shizuru chimed in with her usual chipper, and very false smile.

"Your wife's too incompetent to do that, too," someone had the nerve to say.

Shizuru growled, but Natsuki took her hand and squeezed. The action pushed the fake smile back onto Shizuru's face and she wondered what had happened to these people who just two years ago had helped her search for her missing wife and had three years ago celebrated their union, dubbing them the First Couple of Garderobe. _How did things change so fast?_

The best she could come up with was that the Otome were scared, scared that they would lose their positions, their masters, their lives or just scared that the New Politics were right. If the New Politics were right, then the Otome were not the heroes many of them envision themselves to be. In fact, if the New Politics were right, they were the villains of the moment and none of them wanted that.

Before the argument could get worse, Miss Maria stopped into the office. "What's all the noise in here? I hope someone came up with a way to find the First Column. If not, it's time to leave the principal alone, so she can solve this problem," the ancient Otome announced. Apparently while Natsuki's power waned, Miss Maria's held the same as always and cleared the room posthaste.

"Thank you," Natsuki said with a tired sigh.

"While our philosophies are different, and maybe even our long term visions for the Otome are opposed, you are a good principal and deserve respect. If they can't approach you properly, they shall not have your ear," Miss Maria commented before turning to leave. "And, you're right. Otome are not here to police the world. Our services haven't been requested, so any Otome not associated with Windbloom should stay out of it. Same with Cardair." She left on that.

"Was that an apology?" Natsuki wondered aloud.

Shizuru shook her head. "That was support. Miss Maria still has faith in you, even if your ideas aren't the same as hers. You've grown on her."

"Like a fungus, I'm sure."

Shizuru chuckled. "Let's go join the others who are still looking for Gallagher-san to see if we can help in any way." Natsuki nodded because Sara Gallagher was still her primary focus. Shizuru knew that her spouse still worried about all of the outside trouble, too. Now that the outside trouble was literally just outside school grounds and minutes for her family home, Shizuru worried, too.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Chie shows up and John Smith makes an appearance.


	8. Smoke and vapors

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

8: Smoke and vapors

The subjects of Windbloom had been rioting for three days and nights, still calling for the release Maximilian Straw, as well as the hundreds of people that had been arrested since the chaos began. The amusement park that Mashiro had hoped would lift the spirits of her beleaguered people was now a smoldering, blackened pile of ashes and twisted metal. The smell of fire and melted dreams pierced the city and seemed as if it would be the new scent of the world. The sky had turned to permanent night, onyx clouds bellowing up from various fire pits that were once buildings. The city itself seemed set to implode and explode at the same time, possibly carrying the whole country and maybe even more with it. And, of course, Mashiro had no idea what to do.

The Queen wisely holed up in the palace while the mayhem expanded like an aging star. Froze in her own disbelief, all she could do was order the police and guards to continue working. As for solutions, she was dry, and the two people she trusted most in the world – her Otome and her personal handmaid – were just as mystified as she was.

Chie Hallard went to the palace by the third day, with permission from Natsuki and her own government. She was not looking to involve herself in Windbloom matters, but she needed to check on her girlfriend, the Queen's maid, Aoi Senoh. She just could not take any more of Aoi's assurances that everything was fine when she could see Windbloom burning. Thankfully, her Otome uniform got her easy passage into the royal home, but she had been ready to push her way through if necessary.

"Aoi?" Chie called into the palace. Servants were kind enough to point her in the direction of missing lover.

Aoi was in a small sitting room with a fuming Mashiro and her pacing Otome. Aoi noticed Chie immediately and rushed over to her. The couple embraced tightly and Aoi buried her face in Chie's neck.

"I'm so glad you're all light," Chie sighed in relief, holding her girlfriend tightly around the waist. Part of her never wanted to let go.

"I told you I was. You didn't have to come," Aoi replied, speaking onto Chie's neck while clutching at her shoulders.

"Of course, I had to come. You're fine now, but there's no telling when that mob out there is going to channel it's energy toward the palace," Chie argued.

"They wouldn't!" Mashiro practically roared.

"They have an agenda and eventually they're going to remember it has to do with you, your Highness," Chie informed them all. She made sure to keep her voice respectful, but she wanted to get Aoi away from the palace and away from the Queen as soon as possible.

Arika rushed to the Queen's side and gather the smaller woman up in her strong arms. "I won't let them hurt you."

"You know, Natsuki-sama thinks if you let Maximilian Straw out things might get better," Chie said. She and a few other more reasonable Otome had sat down to pick the principal's brain on the matter and unsurprisingly Natsuki had what seemed like a logical and non-violent solution to the whole ordeal. Of course, no royal would go along with Natsuki's full idea as it meant relinquishing some power.

"Natsuki-sama," the Queen sneered the name and title, letting Chie know that the Second Column had managed to offend yet another person with her rather simple personal philosophy.

_Maybe I don't truly get the big deal because I'm from Aries_, Chie considered. But, then again, some of the other Otome that seemed fine with Natsuki's ideas were from monarchies, as that was the main form of government on Earl. Natsuki seemed to think that the easiest solution was releasing Maximilian Straw and agree to his Natural Rights Doctrine. Chie could not figure out why it was an issue, but Aries citizens had enjoyed the rights he called for and more for over a century now. Princess Anh had pointed out that her own grandfather had managed to avoid a full on revolution by giving their people basic rights almost seventy years ago. She knew that Zipang had passed a Proclamation of Natural Rights at the urging of the shogun's son. It seemed like the world would be going that way, so Natsuki thought (and Chie agreed) that it would be best if Queen Mashiro just went along with it.

"Natsuki-sama doesn't rule my land! I do and Maximilian Straw isn't going anywhere!" Mashiro roared, pointing to the ground with an authoritative finger that could just as easily end a person's life. And, yet, the Aries Otome did not tread carefully.

"What are you even holding him on, your Highness?" Chie asked curiously.

Mashiro scowled and glared at the foreign Otome. "That's my business, Otome."

Chie shrugged and turned her attention back to her girlfriend. She pulled Aoi away to a corner and just held the maid to her. Aoi cuddled back.

"I can take you to Garderobe if you want. Natsuki-sama has no problem with it and she's fairly certain that this is just going to get worse. I'm fairly certain things are going to get worse," Chie informed her ladylove. She did not tell Aoi what she saw on the way over, but there was no way that the people were going to just forget their fury without some kind of goodwill gesture from Mashiro and that clearly was not in the cards.

Aoi frowned as she focused on her lover. "I can't and won't leave the Queen. You have your duty and I have mine."

Chie chuckled and pecked Aoi on the lips. "I know. I know. But, if this continues to go south, do you really think Arika's going to let the Queen stay here?"

Blue eyes glanced out of a nearby window. "Do you really think this is going to get worse?"

"I don't know the whole story, but listening to Natsuki-sama, Shizuru-sama, and Nao-san, it's bound to. They said the people are hyped up over the New Politics and Maximilian Straw is the leader of the crew. They're not going to let their leader rot in jail without charges put there by a queen they don't have faith in. If you went out there and saw what they were doing, you'd know that this probably just the tip of the iceberg unless the Queen makes a wise move, which I know you don't see happening. You can't keep following the Queen like this, love, and pretend everything's going to be fine. You see what's going on."

"So, I am to abandon my Queen?" Aoi glared at her lover.

Chie had a knack for putting her foot in her mouth when it came to her lover. She could not understand why that was since she was so smooth with other women. She figured it had something to do with the fact that Aoi meant something to her, so everything she felt was sincere and sometimes she panicked when Aoi could get hurt.

"No, but you shouldn't just play to her fantasy that everything's going to be fine," Chie explained, hoping that cleaned up her other words.

Aoi arched an eyebrow. "You want me to tell the Queen she's wrong?"

"Well, maybe she'll only fire you and then you can come live with me. It'll be great. You can turn my bachelor pad into a happy home," Chie declared with a grin to hide the fact that she was serious. She was tired of the long distance relationship with the love of her life and she was tired of Aoi blindly following a spoiled brat.

"Live with you in that pig sty?" Aoi teased, focusing on her girlfriend to avoid the chaos going on outside the palace.

"It needs a woman's touch," the Otome joked.

The maid chuckled and held onto her lover. Chie could feel Aoi trembling. Aoi knew how serious everything was, but she was trying to be strong. Chie smiled; she had always loved that trait about Aoi. She would be strong, too, because the principal left her believing that they had a long road ahead of them, even though the Otome were not involved yet … in Windbloom anyway. And with the way things were going in Cardair and now Windbloom, if the fervor continued to spread, things were certainly just going to get worse.

-8-8-8-8-

"Have the weapons arrived yet?" John Smith asked the Marquis of Artai.

Renjiro was lounging on a chaise with the phone to his ear. The room was empty, even though he had some loyal followers. Still, he preferred to trust no one, just in case. He could not risk punishment, not when he was so close.

"The weapons are here and I'm arming my men," Renjiro replied in a low voice.

"When are you going to send them out?"

"Soon. I can't jump the gun here or it'll look like Artai purposely is escalating things and not like our few zealots just wanted to help. I don't want other countries getting involved just yet or things could go south."

"What does it matter? With these weapons you can take down any Otome the countries throw at you," John Smith pointed out.

"Some countries still hold secret armies. This is a delicate matter. I won't rush into this and end up in jail like my brother. What does it matter to you when I use the weapons? What do you get out of this?"

The blond man chuckled. "That's my business. Don't worry. It won't interfere with your plans."

"They better not. I'm not the enemy you want."

There was another chuckle. "I'm so sure. Enjoy my little gifts. Make the most of them."

"As soon as the time is right, I will," Renjiro vowed before disconnecting the call. "I'll strike and then show my brother who the worthless one is. Of course, he might he right about Mashiro. Not that it'll matter soon enough."

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki sat with her close group of friends amongst the Otome, namely her wife, Nao, Mai, Anh, Haruka, and one time classmate Laula, who had gotten over being an ass for the moment. Anh was playing with Shinobu and the child was showing her aunt that she knew her ABCs. Mikoto had come in, not enjoying the fact that Mai had been gone for almost a week. Mai caught Mikoto up as much as she could, not that Mikoto really cared to know as long as she could help Mai.

"Did you try tracking dogs?" Laula asked in regards to the search effort for the First Column.

Natsuki snorted. "It was the first low tech thing I did. Hell, I got a team from fucking Annan. The best fucking trained dogs on the planet. They got to the last place Sara was and circled it for over six hours." Her shoulders slumped and Shizuru wasted no time reaching out to rub her back.

"You're not giving up!" Haruka barked.

"Of course not, but I need time to consider our next course of action. We can't keep spinning our wheels like this. It's a waste of time and man power and damn sure isn't getting Sara back," the Principal pointed out.

Before anyone could respond, a huge explosion echoed outside. Shinobu was in her okaa-san's arms within moments while the others went to the window to see what was going on. There was a pillar of fire reaching for the heavens in Windbloom. They watched for a couple of seconds, silent and pensive.

"There's your New Politics at work," Laula sneered at Natsuki.

"Those are angry, tired people at work. They're tired of being last in line, tired being the hungry ones, tired of being the only ones to make sacrifices, tied of wondering how they'll feed their families, tired of just surviving and wanting desperately to begin living. New Politics didn't make them that way. Old politics did," Natsuki retorted.

"Didn't you tell the Queen how to stop this?" Mai asked with slight concern in her voice. She continued staring out the window, mouth slightly open.

"I offered a suggestion that was apparently not followed. It's been going around a lot lately," Natsuki remarked with a frown.

Nao shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

"We should go out there and do something about this madness!" Laula declared, punching her fist into her palm.

"Like what?" Mai asked with an arched eyebrow. She had not really understood what was going on until sitting in on the conversation between Natsuki and the others, but she had been oddly passive when she was caught up. Natsuki suspected Mai was stunted by inaction because the grand scope of the whole mess and her mind was still more focused on finding Sara than the kingdom's problems. She seemed a little more invested now in the kingdom's problems because she could not believe what she was seeing, but Natsuki was sure that Sara was still at the forefront of the redhead's mind and concern.

"Something! We should just be out there!" Laula argued, motioning to the window.

"Because it worked out so well when Arika went out there. Those people don't want to see Otome right now. Otome are the enemy right with the upper class," Nao pointed out.

"But, it's … it's …" Laula growled and turned away from the window in frustration.

"It's not our problem. Hell, this isn't even your country," Nao stated.

"So, we do nothing?" the teal-haired Otome demanded.

"No, we continue to try and find Sara. You need to keep your focus and remember why I called everyone here in the first place," Natsuki reminded her former classmate.

Laula growled, but she finally stopped speaking. Natsuki was thankful for that. Still, even with the silence, she was not getting any ideas on how to find their missing Otome. She sent a silent prayer to whomever was listening that Sara was alive at the least.

Natsuki turned away from the window, but noticed that her wife was still focused on the insanity in the city. She wrapped her arms around Shizuru's waist and rested her head on the Third Column's shoulder. Shizuru put her hands on Natsuki's hands.

"You want to go check on your family again?" the pale woman asked. Honestly, she was tempted to go check on the in-laws. While they lived in what was technically the countryside, it was still close enough to the city where things might spill out into their area.

"No, I called. Otou-san said things are tense, but no one's rioting there and they're all fine. I want to help you find Sara," Shizuru answered.

Natsuki nodded and that helped her get back on task. She decided to go see Yohko to see if the Chief Medical Officer had any ideas. Yohko was with Miss Maria and her small tech crew. They had several monitors going; a couple of them showing the madness going on right outside of the school gates.

"Have they figured out to storm the jail yet?" Natsuki asked curiously. She figured if the people did not do it in a couple of days, then Mashiro would defeat them because they had clearly lost sight of their goals and let their anger rule the day.

"No. Have you figured how we're going to find Sara Gallagher?" Miss Maria countered.

The principal shook her head. "I was hoping you had ideas. No hits on her nanomachines?"

Yohko sighed. "Nothing. Not even a false ping. It's like she fell off the face of Earl."

"Well, that's disheartening," Natsuki muttered, eyeing the floor briefly. She glanced up in time to see that at least someone might be resoled that day as the subjects of Windbloom were drawing closer to the jail. Unfortunately, they were also drawing closer to the palace. That was also disheartening.

"Has Queen Mashiro requested our assistance yet?" Miss Maria asked curiously.

Natsuki almost laughed out loud. "You're kidding, right? I'm on her shit list, like everyone else with me nowadays, so I doubt that'll be happening."

Miss Maria frowned and narrowed her gaze on the pale woman. "What did you do?"

"Why is it always me? For over thirteen years, it's always been me," Natsuki huffed.

"If the shoe fits. Now, what did you do?"

"I merely suggested one way to end the carnage of the day would be to give the people what they were asking for by freeing Maximilian Straw, which she took as an insult," Natsuki explained.

"You're trying to tell her how to run her country?" Miss Maria demanded.

The principal shrugged and glanced at the monitor. "It's not like she knows how to run it."

-8-8-8-8-

"Are the men in place?" Smith asked.

"They are. It'll go fine if everything works," Renjiro stated.

John Smith laughed; a sinister, ominous noise. "We'll see. It should work perfectly. We're been focused on this for years. Just remember to contact me with the results."

"Of course."

-8-8-8-8-

"Ladies, we might need to get out of here," Chie noted as she studied the movement outside. The mob was getting closer and she was sure someone had gotten the bright idea to attack the palace.

"We're not leaving," Mashiro proclaimed, earning a frown the Aries Otome.

"The palace is heavily fortified and there's no way they'd be able to get in here. We're safe here," Aoi promised her lover, gazing pleadingly into her eyes.

That did not comfort Chie. "We're sitting ducks here if they get in. This is far from a good battle strategy. Warfare 101 is to not be where your enemy knows and can get you."

"We're got guards," Mashiro pointed out. "And two Otome."

"I'm not fighting ordinary citizens that just three days ago were only asking for a guy to be released from jail, a guy who hasn't even been formally charged," Chie declared. If anything, she was getting Aoi and getting the hell out of Dodge. She knew that would get her in trouble, but if it kept Aoi from harm, she was more than willing to bear it.

The Queen literally reeled back and a heated look took over her eyes. "You will do as I say!"

"I'm not your subject nor am I your Otome. The only reason I'm here is to make sure nothing happens to Aoi. The last time things went down around here, I almost lost her. I will _NOT_ let that happen again," Chie declared, her voice booming. She glared down at the Queen, daring the little dictator to challenge her.

"Chie," Aoi said, stepping to her side. It was not like Chie to lose control, especially raising her voice or trying to intimidate someone. She wrapped her hands around Chie's bicep to help her calm down.

Chie looked down at her girlfriend. "No, don't. I'm not going to risk losing you over something like this. We're supposed to grow old together and I will not have some misinformed malcontent ruin that plan."

Aoi nodded and then turned her attention to the Queen. "Um … your majesty, may I please be excused?"

Mashiro's face actually fell. "You're going leave me?" Her voice was so small and her eyes showed endless fear.

"No. I just want to talk to Chie in private. I'll be back," Aoi vowed and that made her lover frown now.

The Queen had the nerve to dismiss her maid with a wave of her hand. Chie was ready to put the overgrown brat over her knee, but Aoi pulled her away. The brown-haired woman marched Chie down the hallway to another small private room.

"Chie! You can't talk to the Queen like that!" Aoi shouted, stomping her foot and glaring at the Otome.

"She's putting you in mortal danger! I can't just sit by and let that happen, especially not when I'm right here. Did you forget you nearly died?" Chie demanded. She could never forget. Aoi bandaged from hand to toe in a coma haunted her whenever she closed her eyes. Every time she touched a scar on her lover's beautiful body, which there were of now plenty of thanks to that incident, she would remember and she would blame the Queen.

"Of course, I didn't forget, but I still have a duty to my Queen," Aoi argued.

Chie made a fist and dropped her head. "And that comes before your duty to me," she whispered, feeling as if it was a revelation.

"No, never!" Aoi grabbed Chie's hand with both of hers and held on for dear life. "You're the most important person on the planet to me. Most important. Nothing comes before you."

"Then, please, don't put yourself on the line again. I know your job's important to you, but don't let her cloud your better judgment."

"And what would you like me to do? Leave with you?"

"Open yourself up the option."

Aoi was about to reply, but the sound of shattered glass echoed through the palace. They looked at each other before Chie went to the door. Aoi knew to stay put until they knew what was going on. Chie crept into the hall, listening carefully. She could hear shouting, sounds of battle, and more glass breaking. Instead of searching for a window to see what was happening and having her stray far from her girlfriend, Chie contacted Garderobe to see if they could tell her anything.

"Chie, you need get out of there right now," Natsuki informed her. "The people have broken through the gates and they're fighting with the guards. They're armed with various melee objects and some have guns."

"Shit," Chie hissed by accident.

"No shit. Get back here now."

"Affirmative."

The communication was disconnected and Chie rushed back to Aoi. The noise of the invasion was growing louder by the second. Chie took Aoi by the hand.

"We need to go. The mob is on palace grounds!" the Otome reported.

"I have to make sure the Queen is all right!" Aoi said, which frustrated her girlfriend but did not surprise her.

Chie did not argue and the couple dashed back to where they left the Queen and Arika. The room was empty. Chie took a moment to look out of the window to see the mob in the courtyard. They were armed with simple 2×4's, tools, sports' equipment, and other handy items. Many were hurling stones in the palace's direction. Sheer numbers quickly swallowed any guards that ran into them. It seemed was if the whole city was trying to take the palace apart piece by piece.

"We have to get out of here," Chie said.

"But, the Queen!" Aoi objected.

"Arika is with her! You're my main concern right now, so let's go!" The Otome did not give her girlfriend a chance to object, grabbing the maid by the hand and searching for an exit.

Aoi pointed out a secret passage not too far from them and Chie ducked into it. The passage was a dark labyrinth, but the maid knew her way around there. They were able to make their way off of palace grounds from the corridor and came out in a deserted area. There was a burning miasma that thickened the air and seemed to devour anything that made the city of Windbloom great.

"Let's go back to Garderobe. Hopefully, Arika will go there, too," Chie proposed.

Aoi only nodded, but Chie doubted her girlfriend even heard her. Aoi was focused on anarchy around them. An attacking dragon probably would have been less shocking, and less destructive. Chie put an arm around Aoi and gently pulled her in the direction of Garderobe. Aoi dragged her feet, so she picked up Aoi bridal style. She took off flying as soon as the coast was clear.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," Natsuki said as the couple landed.

"Thankfully, Aoi knew a passage that got us out and far from the palace. I wasn't looking forward to fighting regular people," Chie replied. She saw herself as a soldier and soldiers fought other soldiers as far as she was concerned.

"Is Arika-san here? Did she show up with the Queen?" Aoi inquired with urgency.

Natsuki shook her head. "I haven't seen or heard from Arika or Queen Mashiro."

Aoi's face fell. "Then they're still out there." Her words shook as she looked out into the desolate area that was once a beautiful metropolis. The Queen and her Otome could be in the center of that mess.

-8-8-8-8-

Arika was not ready for the pandemonium that greeted her, Mashiro, and a dozen guards as they exited a secret tunnel in the palace. She had worried about leaving Aoi, but she knew that Chie would take care of the handmaid while she had to concentrate on protecting her Master. She had to jump to that because people noticed them immediately.

"It's the Queen!" The mob roared as they charged forward, brandishing their weapons.

"Get her out of here!" Arika ordered the guards as she charged into her Robe. She deflected dozens of stones and other projectiles as the guards hustled their wide-eyed monarch away from the scene.

The Otome made sure to cut off the mob from her Master while trying not to hurt them. Like Chie, Arika had little desire to harm regular people, but she would not allow them to touch Mashiro. Moving quickly, she punched and kicked at whoever strayed too close while continuing to knock away the rocks being tossed at them. But, the mob had numbers on its side and closed the distance between Arika and the fleeing group.

"Arika!" Mashiro called, holding her hand out for her Otome as the guards practically shoved her into the escape passage.

Arika turned to join the group only to be grabbed and yanked by the ravenous horde. She fell back and the people tried to maul her. Growling, she pulled herself back up to see the Queen gone, but there were people trying to figure out how to open the passage way again. The level of madness and thoughts of what they might do if they got to her Master filled her with anxiety and rage.

"Get away from there! Leave Mashiro alone! She only wanted to make things better!" Arika bellowed, pushing people way from her. She charged the people trying to open the hidden corridor, forcing them back.

"She didn't want to do anything, except be a selfish bitch, Otome!" someone screamed.

"She's never made anything better! She's poison!"

"And you're poison for helping keep her in power!"

They closed in on Arika and she defended herself, which seemed only make the mob more bloodthirsty. More people rushed over, some without weapons and they just tried to claw at her. To avoid utterly destroying the murderous crew, Arika retreated to higher ground, out of their reach. She thought that she might be able to fly to Garderobe before making her way back to Mashiro.

"Not so fast, Otome!" Shots were fired.

Arika could not believe they were shooting at her. These same people once loved her, cheered her, and trusted her to protect them, their kingdom, and their Queen. Now, they seemed to want her dead, their Queen dead, and their glorious kingdom in ruins. She put a shield around herself to keep the bullets at bay and then took to the sky.

"It won't be that easy, Otome!" A man aimed a rifle that Arika did not think anything of until after he fired a shot.

The rifle bullet hit her shield and there was a buzz sound. The next thing she knew, her shield was gone and another shot echoed through the din. She grunted as she felt a sting in her shoulder, which instantly began to burn and then it like being struck by lightning. She screamed as the agony blurred her vision and she crashed back down to the ground, nearly unconscious.

Groaning, she tried to move, to pick herself up, to keep fighting, but found it impossible. _What the hell did they hit me?_ She forgot that thought as she heard sounds of people approaching. She feared that she was as good as dead, which meant Mashiro was as good as dead. That thought held zero appeal for her, but still she could not pick herself up.

"I guess these anti-Otome guns work," someone snickered.

She wanted to ask what he meant, but only moans escaped her throat. _Anti-Otome guns? What's going on? How did his bullets go through my shields?_

"Let's hang her! Fucking Otome keeping that selfish bitch in power, helping keep all of these arrogant pricks in power," another hissed. There were cheers to that suggestion.

"Whoa! People, we are not savages and she is a national hero!" a new voice spoke up. "Besides, she could come in handy." At that, Arika felt herself being lifted up. She doubted they were taking her anywhere good.

-8-8-8-8-

Mashiro turned around every few seconds as the guards led her further and further from the palace, going through dark and winding tunnels. She knew in her heart that Arika was right behind them, but each forward step was like a seed of doubt. The seeds sprouted into thorny vines, wrapping around her heart after it felt like they walked for eternity and Arika was still not with her. She had to struggle to keep tears at bay after some time. She had to stay strong for Akira, for herself, and for the country.

"Arika," she whispered into the dark like a prayer.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Cardair one-ups Windbloom and things get worse for the Otome.


	9. Burning sensation

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does. I do own Shinobu.

A/N: it's been brought to my attention that this chapter needs a warning label. Everyone be aware that things get very violent, gory, and disturbing in this chapter.

9: Burning sensation

The excitement and news of what happened in Windbloom spread throughout the world like wild fire. By the next day, Cardair's subjects decided to take it a step further. The people in Cardair stormed the other palaces again, practically razing them with fire and fist. The grand palaces of Cardair, places of artistic beauty and centuries old, became smoldering piles of ash and broken columns.

By then the emperors had all fled, retreating to Florince with Kazuya, who had not been able to get back into the country because of the turmoil. Florince had offered their protection since the rebellion had gotten underway, supporting the absolute power of the emperors. The three men were not in the same areas of the capital city at the moment, but the two emperors that arrived together stayed in the same manor house and made plans for taking back their empire.

Their Otome were still in Cardair and expected to fight. The emperors made the mistake of sending them out. Some nobles did the same only to find out the people had something worse than an Otome on their side.

A few men in Cardair had anti-Otome guns and shot down two Otome in an instant as they and the police were trying to get the people under control. The masses would not be contained anymore, though. The warrior women were executed right there in the streets; their heads held high, dripping with dark, crimson blood, to a cheering mob. There was no footage of it, as all of the news stations had been shut down by the emperors and foreign agencies had been expelled as soon as trouble began, but news of the carnage spread fast, especially when they captured and killed a couple off nobles in the same brutal manner that they had slaughtered the Otome.

There was immediate retaliation. The police and secret police went on a murdering spree all their own, killing entire families if they had any suspicions of someone being a reactionary or involved in what happened to the palaces. Mayhem was becoming the order of the day and murder was a means to deal with it. The empire was clearly in trouble.

Cardair had changed the game right after Windbloom changed it. No one was safe, it seemed, with what was happening in Cardair and Windbloom could easily go the same way. The noble class and their bodyguards, the Otome, were going to feel the wrath of the common people. But, the common people were going to feel a bit of blowback beyond the counterattacks. The international news had been split on reporting the tension in the two countries, even as they were more certain about what was happening in Windbloom than in Cardair.

Aries had mostly backed the people's movement, as if hoping to get another republic in this world of monarchies, empires, and tyrants. An Nam and Zipang had also mostly backed the commoners, even though they both were monarchies with a noble class, but the people had plenty of rights protecting them from the ruling class and even the ruling class had to follow the law. There were several other countries that had similar ideas in place.

But, the countries like Florince, with absolute monarchies put down the rebellions as madness and an excuse for people to riot, loot, and give into more animalistic instincts that strong monarchs protected them from. They pointed to what happened in Windbloom as proof. They did not know what happened in Cardair yet because of censorship and media blackouts. But, the madness could not be contained. Soon the story would break and these countries would gloat on being right.

Lutesia Romulus and Lutesia Remus were very much against what was going on mostly because of their history. Having had their own revolution a century earlier, they still collectively remembered had degenerated into a mere blood bath before turning into a complete civil war before splitting the country in half. The wounds had only begun to heal. They did not want that for other countries of the world.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki was taken from her sleep by an incoming communication. She groaned, pulling herself out of bed to avoid waking Shizuru, even though they both had to get up in less than an hour. She went in to the bathroom before answering.

"Natsuki –" she barely made it through her name before a second voice penetrated her eardrum.

"Principal! Oh, my god! We need help! They killed Yomi and Kimiko! They killed them!"

Emerald byes blinked. She recognized the names of two Otome, but she had no idea what was going on. _Killed them?_

"Who killed them and how?" Natsuki inquired.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" the screaming turned to hysterical sobbing.

"Calm down, Otome! Pull yourself together!" Natsuki barked.

"They killed them!"

"Yes, you've said that, but who killed them and how?" the principal inquired, gathering her patience with the hope that it would calm down the distraught Otome.

Whimpering, the young woman took a deep breath. "Rebels, Principal, the rebels in Cardair killed them. Somehow, they had weapons that could bypass our shields and stop our nanomachines! Their Robes crumbled right before us and they were swallowed by the mob! They tore them apart like wild animals and have their heads on display in front of the ruins of the Grand Palace! We only just managed to escape the battle and get out of the danger zone."

"The rebels in Cardair killed two Otome," Natsuki absorbed that information. _So, those anti-Otome weapons and anti-Otome technology might have been for this all along. But, only two in the Mad Scientists' group Reactionaries and there's no way a grassroots' movement of disgruntled, disorganized peasants could hire a group of scientists to develop the tools they need to take out the 'attack dogs' of the ruling class. Something's wrong here_.

"What should we do? We need help!"

"Keep it together and do your best not to engage your enemy if they capable of bypassing our nanomachines and destroying our Robes. I repeat, do not engage your enemy," Natsuki stated, praying that order would be followed because she needed time to think. She also needed more information to figure out what their next move would be.

She ended the communication abruptly while storming out of the bathroom. She needed to wake Shizuru up and they needed to get to work. Much to her surprise, Shizuru was already sitting up in bed.

"You heard that?" Natsuki asked since the nanomachines did enhance their natural senses.

"I heard noise. What happened?" Shizuru countered.

The ebony-haired woman sighed as she went to the closet. "Rebels in Cardair killed two Otome."

The Graceful Amethyst gasped. "Who? How?"

"Yomi and Kimiko. The rebels, or whoever they are in Cardair have anti-Otome weapons. They used them to get by their shields and somehow stop their nanomachines. I have to wake Yohko-sensei up and find out what's going on."

"I'll get Kenta-kun to watch Shinobu and met you at the lab," Shizuru said.

Natsuki nodded and leaned down to give her wife a gentle kiss. She rushed off after that, calling Yohko on her way out. The Chief Medical Officer was already awake and in her lab. Natsuki made her way there as quickly as possible.

"Damn, woman, do you sleep?" the younger woman remarked as she took in the sight of Yohko at her desk, in her lab coat, and reading over documents.

"Yes, I sleep, just not as late as others," Yohko retorted. "Now, what's the problem? It sounded like you said Otome were killed in Cardair when you called."

"Because Otome were killed in Cardair and we need more details on what the hell happened," Natsuki stated.

Yohko scrunched her face up. "Otome were killed?" she echoed as if she did not understand.

"It's not the first time Otome died," Natsuki pointed out, forcing hardness into her voice. Of course, it was the first time students under her had fallen in battle.

"No, it's not, but usually its because her Master has been killed. What happened? Who was killed?" the doctor asked as Natsuki came to stand next to her.

"Yomi and Kimiko. Some of the people in Cardair have some how gotten their hands on anti-Otome weapons and used those against Yomi and Kimiko. Justine called me barely ten minutes ago out of her mind, begging for help. I need to know what's going before throwing bodies at the problem."

There was a nod from Yohko. "Sounds wise, but there's a video ban in Cardair now. Even if I search the web, you'd only get a fraction of what was happening. Is that what you want?"

"No, I wanted satellite images of the Empire if you could manage it," Natsuki requested.

Yohko actually looked impressed. "That would get you an unbiased update on the situation. I'll try my best, but I'm not sure what we're end up with. I'll get some help on it."

"I'll make some calls to try to find out what's going on."

The doctor nodded and began working while Natsuki made calls. She wanted to talk to the other Otome in Cardair and get as much from them as possible to help get a vague idea of what was going on in the Empire. It all sounded pretty much the same: the people had gone mad and somehow came into possession of weapons that allowed them to battle with the Otome. Two Otome were dead, three wounded, and the rest not sure how to tackle the problem. Only one Otome bothered to tell her that several hundred peasants had been killed in the past few days.

"Got anything, doc?" Natsuki asked as Shizuru glided into the room with Miss Maria on her heels.

"Still trying," Yohko sighed, shaking her head.

"What is going on that you're neglecting your duties and bothering Sensei at the same time?" Miss Maria demanded, almost glaring at the principal.

"I'm not bothering her," Natsuki bit back an insult. "There's a situation in Cardair that requires more information before anything else."

Miss Maria arched an eyebrow. "What situation in Cardair?"

"All out madness. The people are rebelling, starting a revolution maybe. They stormed the palaces, like the rebels here, but they didn't stop there. They've managed to kill two Otome with anti-Otome weapons and severely wound three others. About three hundred people are dead, killed by secret police of some kind, and the ruling class has gone into hiding after a baron was beheaded on the steps of a courthouse. The people seem to be calling for more public executions for anyone opposed to their movement," Natsuki explained. At least, that was what she gathered from piecing together the panicked, furious stories of the Otome on the ground.

"Otome dead? We have to go in there and end this now!" Miss Maria barked.

The principal shook her head. "We don't go in there until we have decent intelligence. I'm not sending more Otome to die or get wounded. We need to know exactly what's going on in there. For now, the remaining Otome are safe, hiding with their Masters. Yohko-sensei, got anything?"

Yohko snorted. "I have a satellite, but aiming at the troubled spots in Cardair, not so simple. Tell me about these anti-Otome weapons while I do my best here."

"Not much to tell. Sara Gallagher was looking into it and her investigation ended up crossing paths with Mahya Blythe's look into stolen Otome technology. We suspected the Empire's government was involved, hiding the scientists developing the weapons for a time with the hope of having access to new weapons, thus no longer needing Otome, not having to bother with our rules, and going back to expanding their Empire as they always wanted to," Natsuki said.

"Then how did the Reactionaries get the weapons?" Yohko inquired with an arched eyebrow.

The pale woman shrugged. "There were a couple of Reactionaries amongst the scientists who could have smuggled them out."

"Your theory sounds complex and lacks proof to implicate a country participating in our program, principal," Miss Maria pointed out.

Natsuki frowned, but did not say anything. She knew how Miss Maria felt about her, but the woman's loyalty would always be to the Otome program before anything else. Natsuki could not get behind that notion as she had never really been a fan of the program. Often she felt like it was a waste, even with that whole "mutual assured destruction" that in theory kept wars from breaking out between powerful nations. It also discriminated against lower class girls, kept smaller, less powerful countries (and people) under the whim of the others, and somewhat gave power to individuals that only a country should have. After all, having an Otome was the equivalent of having a small army and yet any nation in the program had one for every nobleman. It had always sounded like a recipe for disaster to her.

"So, you want to suppose that a group of people who collectively couldn't afford to buy a car, hired a group of elite scientists to develop weapons for their revolution?" the principal asked with a craned eyebrow.

"Don't let your bias cloud your thinking. This is war and clearly they were ready and we were not. Now, we have to play catch up," Miss Maria stated.

"Natsuki is doing her best, Miss Maria," Shizuru had to say. She knew that her spouse preferred to fight her own battles, especially with Miss Maria, but it was impossible for her to remain quiet while anyone practically called her beloved incompetent.

Miss Maria grunted, but thankfully did not say anything. Natsuki turned her complete attention back to Yohko, who finally got a picture from the satellite. It took her a few more minutes to find Cardair's capital city, where the major trouble was. No surprise that the place was on fire and looked like a typhoon had gone through it. Black smoke blanketed the city in large pockets. Symbols of the monarchy were being destroyed, including the major palaces in the city, and there was fighting in the streets among the people and the police force. Anarchy reigned supreme.

"So, what's to do?" Yohko asked.

"We can't charge in there without a plan. It'll only cost more lives," Natsuki stated.

"More Otome lives or more of your precious Reactionaries' lives," Miss Maria snapped.

"I'd rather not waste any lives, Otome and Reactionary alike," Natsuki retorted with a frown.

"Well, if you don't act fast, we will have more than enough Otome bodies to bury I'm sure," Miss Maria sneered.

"And if I act with haste, we could have more of both. I'm not rushing because you want to. I don't know what the hell types of weapons those people have. We could go into this situation and get sprayed by automatic fire or worse, which would definitely cost us a bunch of Otome lives," Natsuki argued.

The idea of Otome running in and being mowed down machine guns silenced Miss Maria. Natsuki focused on the images that Yohko presented her and tried to figure out their next move. _So much for getting ahead of this thing_. But, it was a hard to get ahead of anything when one was surrounded.

-8-8-8-8-

Chie had escaped back to Garderobe with Aoi, who she had finally talked into going to bed. Aoi had been awake for a full day, waiting for the Queen and Arika to arrive at the school. They had not arrived of course. Chie was not sure what happened. She was certain that Arika would bring Queen Mashiro to the safety of Garderobe.

"Maybe they have another safe house," Chie considered. Right now, she was not so worried about the Queen because she knew that Arika would protect the Queen with every fiber of her being. She did want to know how they were though for Aoi's peace of mind.

She tried contacting Arika, but for some reason all she got was static. She considered that they might be deep underground, which could interfere with the signal. Next, she decided to go see the principal. There was always the chance that Arika contacted Natsuki, besides she wanted more information on what was happening in Windbloom now.

Unfortunately, the principal was not in her office. Chie cocked an eyebrow and scratched her head. She wondered where the principal was, especially during such a critical time. She went to find Haruka, thinking her superior might have some idea as to what was going on. But, she could not find Haruka either.

"Something's up. Shit, I need to find out what's going on now," Chie muttered as she considered where everyone might be. She knew they had not included her because she had an overwrought girlfriend to take care of, but she was still there to help.

She ended up at Yohko-sensei's office since if was big enough to fit everyone and that was where they always seemed to end up during an emergency. There they were and their expressions let her know they had not found the First Column and probably had more bad news, which she found did not even begin to cover it. She could not help scowling as she was brought up to speed. Cardair had topped Windbloom in a matter of a day and in only a few days had reached heights of brutality no one expected. Cardair had tainted what people were hoping for, on both sides.

"So, now we have to worry about these animals being able to kill us? You should've done something about this before!" Carla barked at the principal.

Natsuki sighed; the accusations and blame were getting old. She had been bombarded by all sorts of condemnation since everyone had gathered in the office. Shizuru held her hand and squeezed to help keep her calm. She did not need the help, though. She was over it. She was just so very over it. She just had to figure out what "it" was, but that would have to wait until she found Sara Gallagher, helped the Otome in Cardair, and apologized to her brother for enlisting him to babysit all day again.

"So, what are we going to do?" Nao asked while glaring at Carla.

"Yeah, fearless leader?" some other disgruntled Otome chimed in.

"Lemme guess, nothing because your precious Reactionaries are winning!" someone else snapped.

"You can't just rush into the situation or everyone could end up killed," Shizuru pointed out.

"We can't stand here and do nothing, though!"

The meeting quickly degenerated into arguing and Natsuki did not bother to break it up. She merely turned to Yohko and spoke with her. Chie made her way over to the principal to talk with her.

"Excuse me, principal, have you heard from Arika by any chance?" the Aries Otome inquired.

"I haven't. Why?" Natsuki asked suspiciously. She looked like she was not ready to hear more bad news because she was not. She hoped that Arika got the Queen somewhere safe and they were all right.

"Aoi's been worried about them. I thought they'd come here when we fled the palace, but they haven't turned up and I can't get in contact with Arika," Chie explained.

Natsuki sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Shizuru spoke up for her. "I'm sure they're fine," the Third Column told them both.

"Aoi won't accept that without proof, Shizuru-oneesama," Chie said.

"Keep trying to get in touch with Arika. We'll give her time, just in case she is fine," Natsuki replied. Chie nodded. That was either one problem out of the way or one more problem to add to the growing pile.

-8-8-8-8-

Arika woke up to the smell of smoke and decay, which was becoming normal for Windbloom. She looked around the small room that she had been chained up in. She had not been conscious when the rebels moved her, but she knew that she was in a storage room. She was not sure how they had managed to bypass her nanomachines and basically shut down her Robe, but she suspected it had to do with the collar that she could feel around her neck. Her GEM was gone, but she silently vowed to get that back.

She moved to sit up, tugging on her chains. She supposed the noise was heard because moments later, the broken door of the room was opened. Noise flooded the small room with some light while she could see the silhouette of a man. He did not enter, only stood there for a moment.

"She's awake!" the man called over his shoulder.

"Bring her!" was the reply.

The man groaned as he walked into the room and she reared back, ready to strike at him. She found it impossible to move any part of her body, though. He yanked her hands to him and bound her with handcuffs, which she thought was a joke. She would be able to break those easily, she thought, only she found out that she was wrong because she could barely stand up after he unlocked her chains. He had to yank her to her feet.

"Come on," he growled and shoved her out of the room. Her brain swam briefly, as she managed to remain on her feet by some miracle.

Looking around, she gathered that she was in a house. A small, regular house and there were a bunch of people gathered in the living room. Standing in the center of it all was Maximilian Straw. He locked eyes with her.

"The Otome. Finally awake for more than a few minutes?" he asked with an oddly pleasant smile.

Arika had been in and out of consciousness since they brought her there. She had heard snippets of conversation, but her mind had been too fuzzy to piece together what was happening. She did not understand how they were able to hold her like they were doing or how they had managed to capture her.

"What do you want from me?" Arika demanded, as best she could with a scratchy voice.

"Tell us where your master is, Otome dog!" a man next to Maximilian ordered.

"Calm down, Danton-san," Maximilian said, easing in front of his companion. He continued to smile at Arika. "Now, we only want to know where the Queen is," his voice was composed and polite.

"I'll never tell you!" Never mind the fact that she did not know. She was happy to know that they had not captured Mashiro. She prayed that the Queen had managed to make it to safety, though.

Maximilian chuckled and other people followed behind him. "Why is that? What has she done to earn your loyalty? She abandoned you when you needed her, she abandoned her people, she lied to you and to us."

"Mashiro would never lie and she didn't abandon me or anyone else!" Arika proclaimed, trying so hard to raise her head and put her chin in the air.

"Oh, no? Then where is she? She's not here with you right now," Maximilian pointed out the obvious, motioning around the crowded room.

"She shouldn't be here," Arika stated.

"And the lying? What about that?"

"You're the liar! Mashiro doesn't lie!"

Maximilian laughed again. "She doesn't? The whole idea of her being Queen is based on a lie. The ruling class uses blood as an excuse to rule and remain on top, but they ran into a problem when our last monarchs only produced one heir who was lost as a baby."

"What's your point? They eventually found Mashiro," she pointed out.

"Mashiro isn't the royal couple's baby, though. Some nobles bought her from a neighboring country to stop the struggle for power that was happening here. They figured it would keep the peace and they could control the little princess."

"You're lying!" she snarled.

"No, I have plenty of documents to support this. It's the truth. It's even the reason why I was jailed. The Queen isn't even from this country, let alone related in any way to our former rulers. So, again, what has she done to earn your loyalty?"

"She's my friend. That's what she's done."

Maximilian laughed again, but it was Masujiro Danton that spoke up. "Your friend? You're her dog, doing exactly what she trained you to do. Doing exactly what that elitist, privileged school taught you to do."

"I'm not a dog," Arika growled.

Masujiro did not look impressed and turned away from the Otome to Maximilian. "Why don't we just kill her? We've got the weapons for it, her powers are gone, and with her death, so goes the Queen. Thus endth the monarchy, just like we want." He smirked at her, cold eyes curling her insides.

Arika could not believe how casually her demise and Mashiro's subsequent death was discussed. _Could they really kill me? What did they do to cancel out my Otome powers?_ She could feel a pain in her shoulder and vaguely recalled being shot. _How'd they do that? What's going on? If my powers are gone, am I still connected to Mashiro? _She hoped not, so if they did kill her, Mashiro would at least survive.

"We can't just kill the Queen or it leaves room for some other member of the ruling class to step into the role of monarch or they can bring someone from outside again. She doesn't want to pass the Natural Rights Doctrine then she'll just have to dissolve the monarchy. It'll keep someone else for rising up as king and we can put power in the hands of the people, as it should be," Maximilian explained.

"How do we get her to do that? We don't even know where she is," Masujiro pointed out.

Maximilian glanced at Arika and smiled, but it definitely was not the same expression from before. It made her insides grind against each other and she was certain that he was just as wicked as his partner. She had to control her breathing, not wanting either of them to see that they were effecting her.

"We've got her 'friend.' We simply send out the word that the Queen has two days to dissolve the monarchy or we'll kill her friend, and her along with the Otome," Maximilian declared as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"What if she gets the other dogs involved?" Masujiro inquired.

Maximilian shrugged. "Like you said, we have the weapons. We've fought the guards and the police. If the Otome want to stand in the way of our freedom, then we'll go through them like everyone else. We've already proven that we can take them down and take away their powers. We've got our freedom right here, tight within our grasp, and we're not letting it go." The others cheered.

"You call this freedom? You've ruined the entire city!" Arika declared.

"A new, greater city will be born from the ashes," Maximilian replied.

-8-8-8-8-

Mashiro got the message that the rebels would kill Arika unless she dissolved the monarchy. She wanted to just unleash her army on the lot of them, but she did not know where they were and she could not risk them hurting Arika. She did not know what to do and did not trust the advice of those around her. She needed to find Aoi.

"That girlfriend of hers probably took her to Garderobe. I'll go there and ask Aoi what to do," Mashiro decided.

The Queen ordered her guards to move out immediately. They used underground tunnels to get as close to Garderobe as they could, but only entered the school under the cover of night. Guards intercepted them immediately.

"Hey, I'm the Queen!" Mashiro objected to being dragged around, but the Otome did not let her go until she was standing in front of the principal.

Natsuki Kruger appeared haggard, with lines and dark circles under her tired eyes. Her pallor bordered on jaundiced. Her clothing hung on her body awkwardly as if she had lost weight since the last time they saw each other, which seemed like an eternity, but it was not even a fortnight ago.

"What brings you by, Mashiro-sama? Why isn't Arika with you?" Natsuki inquired. Even her voice was different, scratchy and deep.

"I need to see Aoi," Mashiro stated, ordering really.

"And I need to know where Arika is," Natsuki said, folding her arms across her chest.

The glare Natsuki leveled actually made the Queen's stomach flipped. Those emerald orbs seemed unmoving and endless, like looking into the eyes of a god, but a dying god. Mashiro decided to come clean. After all, Natsuki might be able to help, not that she wanted the principal's advice. It was just that she would do anything to get Arika back safely.

"The rebels have her," Mashiro said and she was certain that any remaining color in Natsuki fled from the older woman's body.

-8-8-8-8-

"The Queen was seen going into Garderobe!"

Maximilian frowned, as if he had not expected that. Sure, he had planned for it, but he really did not look enthused by the news. Masujiro smiled and put his hand on Maximilian's shoulder.

"We could have done this without more bloodshed. All she had to do was give in and do the right thing for once in her life," Maximilian muttered.

"Then we'll fight the dogs and be rid of her once and for all, so she never has a chance to make the wrong decision again. We'll also have a chance to be rib of the attack dogs, keepers of our oppression. This way our revolution will establish equality for all. That's even better than dissolving the monarchy," Masujiro pointed out.

Those words turned Maximilian's frown into a smile. "This is true. I guess we'll be fighting the dogs then." The house cheered.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: plans are made while there are arguments all around.


	10. No rest

I don't own these characters.

10: No rest

Natsuki was pretty sure her head was going to explode. There was too much going on for her to contain it all in her very small, crowded brain. She wanted to find Sara Gallagher and now Arika. She had to deal with the Otome in Cardair and then there were the Otome that wanted to get involved in what was happening Cardair, not to mention what was happening in Windbloom. Honestly, all she wanted to do after finding the two missing Otome was hold "Spooky" and cuddle with Shizuru. The rest of the world be damned.

"How the hell did the Reactionaries get Arika?" Natsuki asked the Queen in a tired voice. They were sitting in her office, which she had managed to clear with threats of seriously using her Element on everyone. With the way her eyes flashed, no one challenged her.

"I don't know! We were trying to get away and she was protecting me and there were just so many people," Mashiro said almost frantically. She put her head in her hands momentarily and then threw her hands up, as if she did not know what to do.

The principal in Natsuki took over because while she was exhausted, the Queen was overwrought and oozing of despair. She did not want to make things worse by showing her frustrations. Besides, they shared a common goal, so the more she could get alt of the Queen, the closer they would get to that goal. So, she straightened up in her chair and settled her hands in her laps.

"Look," Natsuki practically cooed in a soothing voice. "Just try to remember. Give me all the details you can about what happened. Any little bit can help us find her."

Mashiro looked away, her mouth drawing down as if she was about to cry, but a hard, determined expression conquered her eyes. "They said they'd let her go if I dissolve the monarchy."

The pale woman was silent briefly, but she leaned against her desk. "Have you considered this?" She kept her voice calm, not wanting to give away her thoughts on the matter.

"Is that your version of help? For me to give up my throne, just like you wanted me to free that bastard Maximilian Straw?" the Queen snarled.

Natsuki was silent again. She wanted to point out that if Mashiro had simply listened to her the first time and let Straw go, then they might have avoided the riots and now revolution. But, that would only serve to start an argument with a brat that she had little desire to speak to. She took a breath before continuing.

"Dissolving the monarchy wouldn't do any good right now. It'll only tell people there's no government and cause more anarchy. Who knows what would happen after that or who would try to fill the void. Besides, how can we trust they won't kill her and thus you after you do what they ask," the principal pointed out.

Mashiro blinked in surprise, as if she had not considered those things. Natsuki was not surprised. While Mashiro had easily become a better person since meeting Arika, her ability as queen remained subpar through out the years. She refused to listen to most people for some reason and loved to listen to Arika's pie-in-sky flights of fancy that got the country an amusement park rather than new mines or businesses. Mashiro did not have the vision that she needed and she did not seem to have any inclination to finding it.

"So, if I don't dissolve the monarchy, what should I do?" Mashiro asked in low voice.

"Find Arika, so tell me what you remember," Natsuki stated. The Queen took a deep breath and nodded.

-8-8-8-8-

Arika was locked in the storage room again. The collar that they strapped around her neck was chaffing her and she could feel dirt building up around it. Her body felt like it has been left to decay in mud, but she ignored how exhausted and drained she felt.

She found herself straining to hear everything going on around her. She heard people entering the house and complaining mumbles. It sounded like there was a lot of pacing going on. Banging on a wall eventually came and it seemed like they were calling a meeting to order. _Meeting to talk about me? What they'll do with me?_ She strained her ears to hear everything.

"So, you might have heard that we plan to attack the Otome dogs," a voice that Arika learned belonged to Masujiro Danton said. There were surprised gasped.

"Attack the Otome? That's suicide!" an unknown voice screamed. Arika was in complete agreement with that assessment.

"We have the weapons to take them on," Masujiro pointed out.

"We don't even know how many of those we have. Hell, we don't even know when they came from."

"What does it matter where they came from?" Masujiro barked. "We have them and we can use them against the Otome and take them out of the equation. The ruling class wouldn't be able to hide behind them anymore."

"We can then build the country up properly where everyone would be equal," Maximilian added on.

"How will this make everyone equal?" a person inquired.

"The Otome won't be able to use their powers anymore. We have the gun to bypass their weapons and we have the chains to suppress their powers indefinitely. Just like we did to the Queen's dog in the grain room" Maximilian explained.

"Yeah, the Queen's bitch is as weak as a kitten thanks to this new technology that will usher in a new era of change and equality," Masujiro added.

"Why not just kill the nobles? The Otome would die, too, right?" someone suggested quite casually. "Then we'd be rid of all of them and we could just remake the world without anyone with superior thoughts." There were murmurs of agreements.

"Some of the Otome don't have Masters, so they'd live," Danton replied.

"Besides, we're not trying to commit mass murder. The Otome are soldiers and siding with the Queen. They're with her. Once we get rid of them, the nobles can be made to heel and change to our system," Maximilian reasoned.

"They'd still be a threat! We need to get rid of them like in Cardair!"

Arika had a vague idea of what was happening in Cardair because of conversations going on outside her door. The people there were rebelling, too, but they all referred to it as a revolution. It sounded like a lot of people died in Cardair, regular denizens, Otome, and nobles. Some spoke of it as if saddened while others sounded proud. She could not understand why anyone would be proud of people dying.

"Like Cardair?" Maximilian practically bellowed incredulously. "Other countries report on Cardair as if they're nothing more than animals. They've done nothing but execute anyone against the revolution, like bloodthirsty brutes. They've killed slaughtered children, for gods sake. Cardair is completely out of control!"

"That's only rumors, probably by enemies of our movements, the ruling class of other countries," Masujiro argued. "Besides, I've heard tales that the police and other dogs for the empire have been doing the same. They probably made up the stories and put those on the Reactionaries to cover for their disgusting behavior."

"Even if they are rumors or even propaganda by the Privileged, I don't want to taint our movement with mindless blood shed. We need to be careful about this. History doesn't favor revolutions," Maximilian pointed out.

"We have the means to bring history to its knees," Masujiro declared, earning some cheers.

"How did we even get these means? You need to consider that. How dot we get these weapons? Did they fall from heaven?" Maximilian inquired. "We have to be as cautious as we can because there could be other forces at work here or the winds of fate could easily blow us off course if we become too much like Cardair."

"How we came about them doesn't matter. We have them. We need to use them and we need not worry about the winds of fate. We can create our fate, as well as change the fate of the world. Now is not the time to hesitate or pause for thought. Now is the time for action."

"We do need to know if we have enough to actually weapons and troops to attack the Otome," Maximilian pointed out. "We also need a general to lead the assault. I'm only a lawyer."

"I can do it," Masujiro proclaimed like it was the most natural thing to say. "I was once in the Queen's guard. It helped me realize what garbage this whole system is and that we follow the lead of a fool. We'll get a weapons count and volunteers to charge on Garderobe."

"How long do you think this will take?"

"A few days."

"Good."

Arika could hardly believe that they were planning to attack the strongest place on Earl. It had to be suicide … except they had managed to stop her with little effort. Whatever weapons they had, if they had enough, they might be able to pull off their insane offensive strategy. Not to mention, if they had more of whatever it was that kept her from using her Robe now, they might be able to control all of the Otome after using those weapons on them.

"I need to warn everyone," Arika muttered, pulling at her chains and getting nowhere. It was as if they had crushed and disintegrated every last nanomachine inside of her. She sighed and hung her head in shame as blood dripped from spaces on her wrists where the bonds had cut into her flesh when she struggled with them.

-8-8-8-8-

"How did the weapons end up in Cardair?" John Smith demanded, barking at Renjiro a hologram communication.

"I was going to ask you the same thing! Cardair falling doesn't do us any good. What game are you playing at?" the Marquis countered, pacing a private room.

"I'm not playing at anything. I had a deal with the emperors and I honor my deals. Those weapons were not supposed to be anywhere near Cardair and that revolution should not be happening. Your troops had to leak those weapons. Do you have actual Reactionaries working for you?"

"Of course not! I'd never let one of those lunatics near this operation. What about your scientists? They've got access to more firepower than I do. My weapons are too precious for me to give any to those savages in Cardair."

John Smith growled. "My scientists wouldn't dare!" he thundered. Of course, he would look into that possibility as soon as he had a chance. If anyone on his side of things dared to ruin the organizations plans, there would be Hell to pay.

"And my men wouldn't either, but somehow those weapons are in Cardair and soon the emperors are going to screaming about where the rebels got such technology," Renjiro pointed out.

"They don't have the time to blow the whistle."

"Not now while they're trying to stay alive, but they might try to appeal to Garderobe to get help by giving up information if the situation gets anymore dire in that godsforsaken place."

"Soon, we won't have to worry about that. We just have to keep the emperors silent until your men do their work," Smith reasoned.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Oh, I have my ways, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to remind them that they're just as guilty as we are. They did knowingly house the scientists that developed the weapons. Not to mention, they had intentions of replacing the Otome with a new guard thanks to the technology and that could have started a war easily with Garderobe and others looking to keep this silly status quo as it is," Smith reminded him.

"Yes, their hands are just as stained, but if it comes to confessing or their lives, I'm sure they'll go with confession."

The blond shook his head. "Let me take care of them." He would also keep a closer eye on Renjiro now, feeling as if he was seeing into the nobleman's soul now. What would this man do to save his skin if things came to that, after all?

"Make sure you do. I haven't come this far to end up like my brother. I will have my own kingdom and it will not be the kind with cold walls, rats, and the festering of my own mind," Renjiro proclaimed.

Smith chuckled. "Just make sure you don't end up like your sister."

"She'll be the reason I can stake my claim, so fix this mess with Cardair and we'll keep things on track," Renjiro ordered.

"If everything goes according to plan, Cardair won't even matter. Make sure your other men get in Windbloom immediately, so the 'rebels' have adequate forces for their next move." The call was disconnected on that note.

John Smith had other things worry about than a whiny marquis usurping a throne. He had to get things in place for the final phase of the plan: the end of the Otome. He had moles in the Reactionaries forces in Windbloom, just in case they needed pushing to attack Garderobe. Of course, from the reports that he had been receiving were accurate, the Reactionaries did not need any pushing. Even Renjiro's plants had not had to say much to get those rebels in the mood to take on the headquarters of the Otome.

"I can't decide if that's stupid or awe-inspiring," he muttered to himself, but he shook the thought away because he had other things to worry about.

First and foremost, he contacted his chief scientist. He needed to know how those weapons ended up in Cardair. He did not really care what happened to the empire, but the weapons needed to be accounted for or he would regret it.

"Mister Smith," the scientist said, bowing in that obnoxious Zipang manner that the Schwartz Organization could not break him out of.

"Doctor Tojo, I have reports that say our developments somehow ended up in Cardair instead of remaining with you or going to the Marquis' men that joined with the Windbloom Reactionaries. Is that right?" the blond asked calmly.

The doctor quickly broke out in a sweat and swallowed loudly. "Sir, I gave all the weapons you instructed me to the men that came for them. The Marquis may very well have Reactionaries among his men. There were and still are rallies in Artai, after all."

"He claims he doesn't, but I do know we have at least two Reactionaries working for us." The Reactionary scientists were easy to recruit, happy to level the playing field and take away the nobles' precious Otome. They worked for beliefs, which made them hard and cheap labor. Nothing made a person work harder than the notion that he was doing the right thing, but they were also potential problems if they did not have enough fear of the organization or that sense of right overwhelmed their common sense. "Could they have smuggled the guns out?"

"We watch those two all the time and never are they alone with the weapons," the chief scientist proclaimed.

John Smith nodded. "All right. Gather their notes, just in case."

"Yes, sir. What would you like me to do with the Otome we captured?"

"Has she out lived her usefulness?"

"Well, not really. We're still testing some new things on her. We never allow her nanomachines to build up to any sort of dangerous level, but just enough for us to continue to see what works and what does not work on them. We have also started experiments on manipulating the nanomachines in her body."

"Then carry on. Bring her to Windbloom and let her witness the destruction of her faction and the birth of a new era."

"Windbloom, sir?" the scientist asked.

"Yes, Windbloom. Bring the supply for the fall of Garderobe. The Reactionaries are planning to attack. They'll need the proper equipment." Smith smiled devilishly.

"You will use them as your army?"

"Yes, they cost the Organization nothing and no one cares if they die."

"Of course, sir. It might take a few days. We have more than enough for them, but transporting all of the equipment to Windbloom will take time."

"Do it as soon as possible, doctor." John Smith disconnected the communication. With those wheels set in motion, he moved on to the next possible problem. His next call did not need a visual. "I need you to go to Florince and keep the emperors quiet until this is over."

"Consider it done."

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki felt like her head was going to split open from all of the bad news that she was getting. Countries were contacting her about Cardair, demanding to know why nothing was being done. She told then the same thing that she told the Otome council, which was that she was working on a plan, which she was. Her plan just had nothing to do with Cardair. She was trying to figure out how to retrieve Arika and find Sara.

She kept Queen Mashiro in her office with her while sending for Aoi, by request of the Queen. She also hoped that she could reason with the other adult in the room to keep Mashiro from doing something rash. _Hope is such a useless thing, though_.

Chie escorted Aoi, of course. The maid looked haggard and weary; something Natsuki could relate to. Chie held her close, until the Queen practically tackled the brown-haired woman. Chie frowned, which Natsuki understood since it still bothered her when students hugged Shizuru.

"I'm so happy you're all right, your Highness," Aoi sighed in relief, petting the Queen's head almost like a child.

Mashiro appeared ready to cry, but managed to hold it together. "They got Arika, Aoi. They took her from me." Her voice was soft, clouded with emotion.

"It's all right. Arika can take very good care of herself and we'll find her," Aoi vowed, glancing up to look at Natsuki, who nodded in confirmation.

"Now, we have to find Arika?" Chie asked in disbelief.

"We have two days before the Reactionaries kill her," the principal replied.

"Why two days?" Aoi asked with a crease in her forehead caused by her eyebrows curling up.

"They're giving me that time to dissolve the monarchy," Mashiro reported. Her maid was the only one to gasp and appear vaguely distressed.

"So, what are we going to do?" the Aries Otome inquired, looking to her leader rather than the Queen.

"I'm not giving up my throne," Mashiro declared.

"Even if it gets Arika back?" Aoi asked in disbelief.

"These people tried to blackmail me. How can I trust that they won't just kill her after I dissolve the monarchy?" the Queen countered. It was nice to know that Mashiro had heard something that Natsuki had said to her during their meeting.

"Then what are we going to do?" Chie asked once again.

"I've got the army gathering. We'll fight!" the Queen declared.

Natsuki frowned. "That might not be the best approach. You'll turn the capital into a battlefield, probably start a civil war, and the Reactionaries might kill Arika."

"They'll be made to heel," Mashiro said darkly.

The principal was scowling now. "You'd be risking a lot of lives, including your own." There were still tons of people in Windbloom that had nothing to do with the revolution and they would get caught in the crossfire.

"I won't let them push me around. Besides, they clearly want something from me. They won't kill me, thus they won't kill Arika, until they get me to dissolve the monarchy," Mashiro stated. That was surprisingly sound, but rather dangerous logic from the Queen.

"Have you tried contacting them to work something out?" Natsuki inquired.

"There's nothing to work out. They want my kingdom. I won't let them have it!" the Queen proclaimed, the brat coming out with such force that Natsuki was surprised that she had not stomped her foot.

"So, there's to be war in the streets?" the pale woman asked, biting her cheek to keep her tone even.

"There's war in the streets already," Mashiro pointed out.

"No, vandalism is not war," Natsuki argued.

"Attacking the palace and kidnapping Arika to use against me isn't vandalism. If you're not going to help me take my kingdom back, stay out or my way, Otome," the Queen declared gravely.

There was something about the way that she dismissed Natsuki that kept the Second Column from biting her tongue. "It's _their_ kingdom, too."

Even though a fire ignited in Mashiro's eyes, her gaze darkened like the blackest night. "It will _never_ be their kingdom."

"Principal," Chie pled as Natsuki stepped forward.

"Those people you think of as rebels were once subjects in a kingdom that never felt like theirs. Those feelings bubbled over into the night the palace fell. You want the kingdom, then you'll get a broken gift," Natsuki stated.

Mashiro's lip curled. "You don't tell me how to run my kingdom on how to keep my kingdom! You don't know anything about what's going on!"

"You're the one with no clue! I was born into a family that has ruled for over two hundred years! I've learned a little something about governing and keeping people happy!" Her home might not be equal in terms of treatment, but her ancestors knew how to "maintain the mob," as they called it. Anytime her family had trouble, it was from some upstart noble, never the peasants. "Beyond my seeing your country struggle everyday up close and personal, I happen to know a great deal about this movement and it's ideas, which I know you can't say," Natsuki stated smugly.

Mashiro's eyes widened with realization and she gasped. "You're a Reactionary."

"And you're the reason many people are the same. You refused to listen to me before and things fell to this. Now, you're going to bring war into the country, into the capital. You're going to start a civil war. It's madness!" the pale woman barked.

"You can't tell me how to run my country, especially when you're one of them! I'll cut them down swiftly and then I'll have the other Masters informed of your allegiance," the Queen hissed.

Emerald eyes rolled. "Don't bother. They already know."

That seemed to be it for Mashiro and she stormed out. Aoi mused to follow, but Chie grabbed her hand. Aoi turned and the couple stared at each other for a couple of seconds.

"Someone has to keep an eye on her," the maid said.

Chie nodded and released Aoi. The Aries Otome sighed as her lover left with the Queen. Natsuki turned her attention to Chie.

"She'll need someone to keep an eye on her," the emerald-eyed woman repeated.

"Are you sure?" the younger woman asked.

"I didn't just lose my cool here because Mashiro insulted me. She's only going to piss the Reactionaries off more than she has. She's going to force more neutral people to the Reactionaries' side because of her behavior. Windbloom will be a battlefield and people will want the Queen's blood. I doubt I need to remind you what happened the last time people decided they wanted Mashiro's blood."

Chie left without a second glance at the principal. Natsuki was not offended because that was what she wanted and hoped for the best with Chie and Aoi. Returning to her desk, Natsuki decided to make a quick phone call.

"Natsuki-chan, how nice of you to call," her mother said. From the light tone of Saeko's voice, Natsuki knew her mother had little idea as to what was happening in Windbloom. She was not surprised, considering the distance between Saxas and the main continent. Windbloom might as well have been the moon as far as the people of Saxas were concerned.

"Hey, Mom," Natsuki said.

"How's my little hime-chan?" Saeko cooed.

"Mom, I told you not to call Spooky that."

"Well, I am certainly not calling her 'Spooky.'" The distaste that her mother had for the nickname seemed to ooze through the phone. "Now, how is my little hime-chan?"

"One of the reasons I'm calling you actually. Do you have room for your granddaughter and in-laws?"

"Of course, we do. Why? Are you all visiting?"

"I wish that was the case, but things are getting pretty bad over here. There might be a civil war in Windbloom and I've got to handle things here."

Saeko gasped. "Civil war? Why are you staying then? Is Shizuru going to stay with you?"

"I have to stay. There are Otome missing and I have to find them. I'm going to try to get Shizuru to go with Spooky, but I doubt she'll go for it. I will certainly force your son back, though."

"Thank the gods. What's going on that might lead to civil war?"

"People demanding rights in all the wrong ways and the Queen responding in the same manner. Hopefully, things will turn out all right."

"No, they _will_ turn out all right. You believe that. Is everything else all right?" her mother asked. While her mother had never really gotten to know her, she still had a mother's intuition and could tell when something was wrong with any of her children. It was only recently that she had stopped trying to solve their problems without discussing the matter with them first, though.

"As all right as they'll get right now, Mom. There's just a lot going on," Natsuki sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"You can always come home if you need to."

"I know, Mom. I know." For the first time in over ten years, going home sounded like music to her ears, but she had to finish things here. She had to at least find Arika and Sara, and maybe help the Otome in Cardair if it did not mean killing a bunch of Cardair subjects.

"So, when will hime-chan and Shizuru's family arrive?"

"As soon as I can convince the most stubborn people on the freaking planet that it's in their best interest to leave."

Her mother laughed, somewhat aware of how the Viola family was. They had a few interactions since Shinobu's birth and the Violas annoyed the rest of the Krugers like they did Natsuki. But, they all seemed to accept that they were connected now. Besides, they had an understanding that they were all just the way they were and accepted that.

"Good luck, dear. I'll tell your father," Saeko said.

"Thanks, Mom. Bye."

"Goodbye."

With that call out of the way, Natsuki got a hold of her wife. She wanted Shizuru to know what was about to go down in Windbloom. Shizuru was with Yohko, still trying to figure out how they would find Sara. Natsuki had an idea on how they would find Arika.

"Natsuki called for me?" Shizuru asked as she entered the office. She was holding their sleeping daughter, which made Natsuki wonder what time if was.

"Yeah, but lemme hold Spooky," Natsuki requested, putting her hands out for the toddler.

Shizuru smiled and eased their child into the principal's arms. "Natsuki is missing her family?"

"Yeah, but I didn't realize it until you walked in. I love you both so much." She hugged Shinobu close to her chest and leaned over to give Shizuru a kiss on the cheek.

The Third Column giggled. "We love you, too, dearest."

Natsuki gave an awkward smile. "Babe, we have to send Spooky to Saxas. Queen Mashiro is going to send an army after the Reactionaries. There's going to be a civil war right outside our gates. We can't have Spooky around that."

"I agree. Will Kenta accompany her?"

"Him and your family, I hope."

"My family? They said things around them isn't that bad, just vandalism," Shizuru objected.

"Yeah, but I imagine they say that like you do, so the heavens have probably crashed onto the manor house by now," Natsuki remarked. _The Viola family, masters of the understated_.

Shizuru looked amused. "Hello, kettle. I must be Pot."

"Babe, this isn't a joke. Things are about to get very serious. Windbloom is going to be a war zone. I know it's going to reach the provinces, if it hasn't already. I don't want anything to happen to them, especially Daphne."

Crimson eyes narrowed. "Natsuki doesn't play fair. I don't want anything to happen to Daphne."

"I know. Do me a favor and don't play fair with them. I really want to play this safe. While I don't think Windbloom is going to go the way of Cardair, I don't want to risk it. Things can still get dangerous and not be on the level of Cardair."

Shizuru smiled. "You care about my family."

"You know I do, even though they get on my nerves. I don't want to see them dead. I definitely don't want to see them murdered by a mob."

"That makes two of us. I'll go see them first thing in the morning and try to have them out of the country by the afternoon. For now, Natsuki needs to go eat dinner and sleep. You're not doing anything for anyone by running on times."

Natsuki wanted to argue, but she was running on fumes. She had gotten zero work done, unless breaking on the Queen counted. She had an idea on how to find Arika, but that could not be set up until the morning, so she allowed Shizuru to lead her out of the office to their apartment. Sleep might help her idea with Arika anyway. _Maybe tomorrow will be better_. But, she doubted.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Maximilian Straw drops a bomb that causes Windbloom to explode.


	11. Let the … burn

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does. I do own Shinobu, Kenta, Dante, Shizue, and Daphne, though.

11: Let the … burn

Mashiro managed to return to the royal bunker without being confronted by any rebels. She assumed that she had gotten unseen, but she supposed that she could only know for sure if her bunker remained unmolested. She put the few royal guards that she had to work immediately, sending messages to rally and ready troops as well as requesting aid from their few allies. She ordered that the army be ready by dawn.

The army, she hoped, would be enough to put down the rebels, but it was not a large army because no country was supposed to carry a massive, standing army anymore because of the Otome. She doubted any country truly obeyed that rule; some were just better at hiding it than others. She ignored the worried gaze that Aoi had locked on her, but as time past ignoring her became unbearable, especially since she would not say anything.

"Aoi, what's on your mind?" the Queen inquired from a desk that she was parked at, sitting on the simple chair as if it were a throne.

"Highness, not to be disrespectful, but this is the second time the principal of Garderobe has offered you advice that you refused to even take under consideration," Aoi pointed out, her voice calm and collected, but the tone was belied by the expression buried in her eyes.

"Her 'advice' wasn't requested or necessary. Besides, she only wants to see the rebels win. Her ideas explain why the Otome haven't jumped in to help," Mashiro hissed, frowning deeply.

"That's not true, your Highness. Chie says the principal needs not only a request from a country for help, but the Otome Council has to approve and she has to have a strategy. You haven't requested help and I doubt that the Otome will help now that they know you have an army and that you have been rude to the principal."

Mashiro frowned and felt her stare turn hot. "You think I'm wrong and she's right? I should just dissolve the monarchy?"

"I didn't say that and neither did she. She didn't want you to turn the country into a war zone, which this will do," the maid argued.

"As I said, it's already a war zone. I'm not going to let them have the country. I'm also not going to allow some school principal dictate my actions or tell me how to govern my country," the Queen declared proudly.

"But, she's not just any school principal and she's a princess –"

"Of a country that's so backwards it's amazing they don't eat with their feet! She doesn't know anything about actually ruling a country or dealing with traitors! Look, Aoi, if you want to side with the principal of Garderobe that's your decision," Mashiro stated.

"I'm not siding with her. And I don't believe she was siding against you. She just didn't want innocent people getting hurt. She wants Arika back, too," Aoi said in low, gentle voice while putting her hand on Mashiro's shoulder.

The Queen felt all sorts of emotions swelling inside of her and she did her best to swallow them down. It gave her the sensation that everything inside of her was twisted and pulled, paining her to even breathe at the moment. Still, she suppressed it all down, pushing it into a little ball to be buried within her soul. Tears leaked out, though. She needed to be strong for Arika, so she viciously wiped away the small, cold traitors. She silently vowed to wipe out the rebels with just as much ease.

"Arika will he fine. You know how she is," Aoi said, still speaking calmly and tenderly.

"Yes, she will be fine because I'm going to get her back and punish those that dare to think they can take her and my kingdom from me," the Queen growled. As soon as her army was assembled, she would show them whose country it was.

-8-8-8-8-

The rebels were grumbling about something, but Arika could not make it out exactly. Her chains were long, so she moved closer to the door. It seemed like there was not the same crowd there as had been because there was no mumbling or background noise. It sounded like Maximilian Straw, Masujiro Danton, and a few others were having a normal conversation, if taking over the kingdom could be considered normal anyway.

"There's talk that she's mobilizing her army," Masujiro said.

"Spies have intercepted a letter from her to one of her generals and others have overheard reports," Maximilian answered, almost as if bored.

"So, she is mobilizing her army?"

"Looks like it."

"So, shall we kill the Otome?" Masujiro proposed, sounding almost hopeful.

"We shouldn't do that yet. We may still need the Queen. Right now, we can use our evidence to discredit her to the people. It'll get more people to join us. We might even get some people to desert the army. We would have even more strength and it would make it easier for the country to transition from her because many would not lament her stepping down or miss the monarchy in general."

Masujiro growled. "Why do you insist on keeping her alive?" He sounded frustrated.

"Because she can be useful and I'm not in hurry to have the country bathing in blood yet. We don't need to become Cardair."

"What use?" he practically spat.

"She keeps some other noble from stepping in to fill the void, a more competent and mature noble. Right now, we can mostly predict her and we can counter her. Let's not ruin ourselves by opening ourselves up to the unknown or even worse, allowing an unknown to gain allies because they might be better than she is at leading. There's too much that could go wrong by killing her now."

Masujiro chuckled. "You're got a good explanation, but we both know you don't have the stomach for executions. You don't want to kill that Otome. You don't want to spill any blood." He sounded mocking.

"Shedding blood taints the message. Look at Cardair. No one is talking about the people's rights anymore. They're talking about the blood running down the streets like a crimson river. They're talking about the murders and executions. Even countries friendly to our cause think Cardair needs to be stopped," Maximilian pointed out.

"Our cause can only be strengthened by getting rid of pig-dogs, like the Queen and other nobles. The ruling class needs to eliminated in order for true equality."

"Once we take care of their attack dogs, the Privileged won't be a challenge. What can the nobles do without the Otome?"

Arika hated that she agreed with Maximilian. The nobles did not stand a chance without the Otome. She hoped that the army could hold things together, even though she had faith in the Otome to defeat the rebels. She wondered when the rebels were going to attack. She hoped that they did not kill her before moving, even though Straw seemed intent on keeping her alive. Of course, Masujiro seemed just as intent on destroying her.

"You are sure we can defeat the Otome, right?" Maximilian inquired.

Masujiro snorted. "You doubt me?"

"I want to be sure," Maximilian stated.

"We're collecting weapons as we speak. I'll have to work on a strategy because it looks like we might not have enough weapons for a frontal assault. Of course, having more men would help, also," Masujiro explained.

Arika actually breathed a sigh of relief at that. She figured that the Otome would be able to get things in order if the rebels did attack. Plus, Mashiro would get the army. She was certain that the combined forces would end the rebels in no time. Then, everything would be able to go back to normal.

"So, while you work that out, I'll inform the people about the Queen and that should get more people on our side, which should certainly get you more men," Maximilian stated.

"Whatever's necessary to build an effective army," Masujiro replied.

"See, the Queen continues to come in handy for our cause." There was a chuckle.

Arika hoped that they were wrong, that no one would rally against her Master. But, in her gut, she just knew that things were not going to the way that she wanted. She tugged at her chains, needing to take action. Of course, the chains did not give and the noise attracted unwanted attention.

"Quiet down in there! Your nanomachines are gone and they're not coming back!" Masujiro barked.

She gasped. It had not occurred to her that they had managed to rid her of her nanomachines. She just thought that she was weak from her injuries. _Oh, my god! Is that what those shots did to me? What is going on with these chains? This collar? How did they take my nanomachines? How am I supposed to protect Mashiro without my Otome powers?_ She wanted to cry, but she managed to suck it up. Crying was not going to get her anywhere.

"I have to get out of here," she growled in a low voice full of her usual determination. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to find something that would help set her free.

-8-8-8-8-

The Reactionaries had taken control of some media outlets, mostly because there were some Reactionaries in the news and publishing businesses, which were dying swift deaths in Windbloom. That would make it easy for Maximilian Straw to reach out to all of the people in the city or even the country. He wanted the world to hear what was happening, to know their side, and to understand why things had come to this. He _needed_ the world to understand that they were the wronged party in all of this, not the Queen, not the monarchy, but the people.

"Is everything ready?" Maximilian asked as he stepped up to a podium.

"Yes, sir. Whenever you're ready," a tech answered.

"I'm ready."

"All right then, on my signal just look into the camera and let everyone know what the problem is." He raised his hand as the signal.

Maximilian stared into the camera and cleared his throat before he began speaking. "Greetings, world. I am Maximilian Straw of the New Politics movement in Windbloom. For months, our movement has struggled to try to bring even the most basic rights to the peasants of Windbloom, only to dismissed as cranks and laughed at as lunatics by the Privileged ruling class, especially that from our all-powerful monarch. Here, the majority of people live by the whim of the Queen, an absolute monarch. A flighty, immature woman who believes that the way to end a massive, devastating economic depression and historical highs in unemployment was to build an amusement park. Our children are sick and starving and our Queen's solution was to build a playground that only the ruling class could afford to play in while a small percentage of the peasants were expected to toil after them, smiling all the way through.

"Adding insult to injury, as we cried for basic rights to at least bring us some security in these uncertain times, she ignored us. She continues to ignore us now. As I tried to push her to at least sign my Natural Rights Doctrine, which would give everyone in the country of Windbloom rights that every human being should be entitled to, I was arrested for my troubles. I was held without charges, as are many people in our jails, put there only by the word of a single person rather than a written law. She could have easily sentenced me to ten years in prison or executed me without any trial to determine my guilt or innocence, or even to determine if I had, in fact, committed a crime to begin with. And this single person only rules by our permission, but she and the ruling class have hijacked that power.

"How is that possible, you may wonder? How can the Queen or anyone rule with our permission? The government is there to bring order to the people. No government is madness because there's no set law or rules for all to follow for the good of the nation, but that has been twisted here. Our government is madness. There are no set laws for all to follow that are for the good of the nation. The people are the nation, but the Queen and the ruling class refuse this basic principle. They believe we are here to serve them and they are the nation, but how could the nation exist without people? Where would Windbloom or any other country be without the people? But, they push for us to believe otherwise because when the people acknowledge their power and take it back, the ruling class will lose all that they have clawed from us.

"To prove how desperate the Privileged are to hold onto this power, the nobles of our nation have pushed a fraud on us for almost twenty years. They told us Mashiro was the lost daughter of our late beloved queen, but I have letters proving that she's really the daughter of the late Grand Duke of Artai, a man with so many children, he could care less to lose one. She was sold to Windbloom nobles, who thought that they would control her thus control the Throne. They all met untimely ends and the Queen now holds sway over us without even being a true daughter Windbloom. They lied to us for the power and continue to kick us while we're down and laugh as they do it, expecting us to accept it and beg for more.

"And now this pretender to the throne refuses us! She claims that this is her nation and she refuses us rights! She says this is her country, but I say this is _our_ country! We are the true sons and daughters of Windbloom! We weren't bought and sold as puppets and we won't lie down silently as she tries to take this country with her illegal army or her Otome dogs. She refused to sign over basic rights to us, well now I call for her to leave the throne altogether. The monarchy and noble class has turned its back on us, so now we must rise on our own. We must take back this nation, _our_ nation!

"We can rule ourselves. We are all competent, more so than the woman who builds an amusement park in the middle of a depression. We will bring about a new era, an era of equality without a ruling class! Every man shall be his own master in a democracy governed by laws that will be born out of this broken and battered monarchy!" In his mind, Maximilian could hear the people cry out. "Rise up with us and we can change this country for the better!"

-8-8-8-8-

Straw's message was received with vigor. The people took to the streets all over the country, roaring over the lies spread by nobility and the Queen. Manor houses were now the targets of the people's wrath. Even the Violas were not immune to this blind fury.

-8-8-8-8-

"What the hell is going on out there?" Nao wondered as a loud explosion echoed through the school. The floor and the walls shook as she saw a pillar of fire in the distance.

"Windbloom has gone crazy after Maximilian Straw gave a speech that was broadcasted around the world!" Natsuki explained in a hurried tone as she ran past the redhead.

"Where are you going?" Nao called after her.

"I gotta tell Shizuru!" the principal replied without bothering to turn around.

Natsuki ran to the apartment, where Shizuru was playing with Shinobu. The television was on, but it was on cartoons. Shinobu walked over to her mother and hugged her around the leg. Natsuki patted the toddler on the back while her eyes met a pair of concerned crimson orbs.

"Natsuki, why are you here? I thought you had a phone meeting with the Otome council," Shizuru said.

"Forget them! We need to really go and check on your family, in person. Maximilian Straw gave a televised speech and Windbloom went nuts when he claimed that Mashiro wasn't the true queen and that nobles planted her there to control the country," Natsuki reported.

"What do you mean?"

"Otome from all over the country said mobs were forming and marching on manor houses and going after their Masters. We need to go!"

Shizuru only nodded. She stood up and grabbed Shinobu's go-bag. Natsuki kept a good grip on their daughter and the family left the apartment. Shizuru followed Natsuki to Yohko's office. The doctor had agreed to watch Shinobu already.

"Behave for Auntie Yohko, all right, Spooky?" Natsuki told the child as she set her down.

Shinobu's chubby face scrunched up. "I thought I was gonna stay with Kaa-san." Her voice was so sorrowful and disappointed it almost crushed Natsuki. The pout was nearly too much.

"Kaa-san will be right back. She and Mom are going to pick up your grandparents," Shizuru replied before kissing Shinobu on the cheek. That seemed to be enough to pacify the child. Natsuki gave her a kiss, too, as a farewell.

"We'll be back soon," Natsuki vowed.

"I'll be good," Shinobu promised. The parents rushed out after that.

"How are we going to get there?" Shizuru asked, knowing that it was dangerous for Otome to reveal themselves.

"Let's just fly. I know you don't care about revealing yourself and we need to get there as soon as possible because who knows what the hell these mobs are downing beyond marching on houses," Natsuki answered.

Shizuru nodded and the Columns took to the air. They were shot at while flying over the burning city, but managed to avoid being hit. There were parts of Windbloom that appeared to be nothing more than ghost towns, sands blowing into empty spaces as the wind howled through deserted high class homes. Towns outside the capital seemed to be on their way to looking the exact same way. Pillars of dark smoke rose from some areas and the whiff of burning hopes floated through the air.

"Equality at a threat and democracy through anarchy …" Natsuki sneered as they moved. She felt ashamed for having the same broad philosophical views as these people.

"Why are they destroying our county? My father has never done anything to hurt people," Shizuru muttered.

"They're not thinking clearly, Shizuru. It's not personal," Natsuki tried to assure her wife.

"To you maybe, but this is my home, my family!" the tawny-haired woman shouted with a glare directed at everything, not her spouse. She then gasped as she saw her house. There was a crowd ripping through everything, throwing rocks through the windows, and there was a fire blazing at the western corner of the house.

"Go get whoever you can and I'll hold 'em off," Natsuki said as she descended into the crowd, leaving no room for argument.

"The Otome dogs have shown up to protect their elitist Masters!"

"Get her!"

Natsuki mentally huffed as the crowd closed in on her because her Element was useless in close quarter combat. As much as she loved her cannon, there was no practical way for her to use it right now. Instead, she got to show the crowd why her classmates did not challenge her to sparring matches.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will put you down," Natsuki promised as she crouched into a fighting stance. No one bothered to listen to her and they charged her. She wasted no time in defending herself and kicked several people across their faces.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru rushed through the house, searching for her family and servants. She thought that everyone might have gotten out all right because all she saw as fallen debris and the smell of fire rushed through her nose. But, then voices caught her attention. She charged off in the direction of the west wing and saw her parents trying to beat back flames.

"Okaasan! Otousan!" Shizuru called and they turned with panicked expressions tearing through their faces.

"Shizuru!"

"Where's Daphne?" the Third Column inquired as she stood before them.

"She's trapped!" Shizue cried, pointing into the room that was blocked off by the fire.

Shizuru waited no time breaking through, not caring if her Robe would protect her from the fire or not. The room was covered in smoke, but Daphne was near by, pinned to the floor by a traitorous piece of the ceiling covering her legs. Shizuru flung that out of the way and grabbed Daphne without a word. The youngest Viola coughed as her sister carried her out.

"Is everyone out?" Shizuru asked her parents, who both nodded.

"We got the servants out before the ceiling came down on Daphne," Dante replied, coughing.

"Then let's get out of here. Hold onto me," Shizuru ordered her parents.

Both complied and then Shizuru flew out, going out so that Natsuki could see her. Natsuki was right behind her and took Shizue to lighten Shizuru's load. They had to be careful of gunfire on their way back to Garderobe.

"What is going on? One speech and the whole country claws out its own heart?" Dante sighed.

"People are angry. They just found out their Queen is a lie and think that all of the nobles knew. They feel betrayed," Natsuki pointed out.

"We're on their side," Daphne croaked, her voice scratchy and raw from smoke.

"Shh, don't talk," Shizuru hushed her dear sister.

"Right now, titles choose sides and we're all against them as far as they're concerned," Natsuki informed them. Now, the people had chosen the extreme and she was not sure what to do. If she could even do anything. Maybe it was not her fight, not as an Otome or even as a believer of the New Philosophy. It seemed like a national fight and she was not a national, even though she was married to one. She shook those thoughts away and forged on, returning to Garderobe.

They made it back to the school and the couple went right to the infirmary with the Violas. Shizuru laid her little sister on a bed while Yohko walked over with Shinobu. The child grinned until she was close enough to see how battered her aunt and grandparents were. She stopped mid-stride and examined them.

"You okay?" Shinobu asked concern shimmering in her mismatched eyes.

"We're fine, Binkie," Shizue assured her with leaning down to pick her up. Shinobu clung to her grandmother, who winced as she stood up. Despite the pain on her face, she did not release the toddler.

"Sensei, I need you to examine my sister. She was trapped in a fire by some debris," Shizuru explained, waving Yohko over.

The doctor nodded, but turned her attention to Shizuru's parents. "Don't go anywhere because you're next." She then went to check on the youngest Viola.

"You two feeling all right? Physically speaking anyway?" Natsuki asked. She knew that in any other aspect her in-laws were far from all right. Their home was destroyed and they were being treated as if they had harmed people that they only wanted to help. Betrayed more than likely did not begin to cover how they felt.

"We're a little worse for wear, but all right," Dante answered, eyeing the bed that held his youngest daughter.

"Yeah, we're fine physically," Shizue backed up.

Natsuki nodded because there was nothing else to do. "Look, after the doctor checks out Daphne, I want you guys to take Spooky to Saxas." The couple both became wide eyed.

"Why would we do that? This is our home. I'm not just abandoning it," Dante declared with strength in his voice. He coughed a bit after he spoke, but that did not change the determined glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, those bas—" Shizue bit back the insult, remembering her granddaughter was in her arms. "They tried to destroy us. I'm not just letting that go and something must be done before the country falls into complete chaos."

"Well, we can't have Spooky go alone and you're going to have to take care of Daphne." Natsuki had seen the younger woman's leg and she knew that there was no way that she would just get up and be ready to go.

Shizue frowned, knowing that to be true. "I suppose your parents are expecting us."

"They are. Please, just go. Take care of Daphne and Spooky. I can't make any promises as an Otome –" Natsuki said and she was stopped by Dante putting his hand up.

"Then don't make any promises. Do what you can and don't stress yourself," he told her.

Natsuki sighed; _too late_. She had to do something, though. She could not sit back and watch good people, which her in-laws were despite being annoying, have their lives destroyed. She could not stand by idly while her wife's home, her wife's nation devoured itself.

Besides, the Windbloom New Politics movement had taken a massive step in the wrong direction, much like Cardair. Unlike Cardair, though, the Windbloom movement gave her an in with kidnapping Arika instead of killing her like the people in Cardair. An Otome dying in the line of duty was considered a part of war and not something the school was expected to get involved in because the Otome were warriors, soldiers. But, for whatever reason, an Otome being held hostage was open to interference by the school because the school had the right to protect its students if the student, current or former, was not actively fighting. _I'm going to do something, dammit_.

The group was silent for a while, waiting for Yohko to finish with Daphne. The young woman had a nasty set of gashes in her leg and some minor burns along with a shattered ankle. Her leg was broken, the bone poking out of the skin. She had not inhaled a lot of smoke since she had been on the floor, so her throat was not a problem.

"She'll be fine," Yohko assured the worried parents. "But, she's going to need to rest, especially her leg and ankle."

The Viola couple nodded. "We're going to take her to stay with Natsuki-chan's family," Shizue said.

"Saxas has plenty of fresh air and is totally peaceful. Perfect for recovery," Natsuki assured everyone. She suspected the thing that saved Saxas and the surrounding nations was the lack of televisions, so ideas spread slower. Also, there were always suspicions of ideas that came from the main continent.

"It does sound perfect. I'll write up how to care for her injuries and give you what you need to make sure she heals fine," Yohko declared without room for arguing.

Shizuru gave Natsuki a relieved look, apparently happy that her family was going to go Saxas without a fight. Natsuki supposed how that Shizuru saw how bad things were in Windbloom, she understood why her family needed to leave. Natsuki embraced her wife, who turned into her.

"We have to do something," Shizuru whispered. "They didn't do anything. They don't deserve this."

"Agreed. We'll do something," Natsuki vowed. She just did not know what yet.

For now, she focused on getting the Violas, Shinobu, and Kenta out of the country. She was surprised about her brother leaving so easily, especially since Nao could be in danger. Of course, Nao had been the one to convince him to leave and Natsuki did not want to contemplate what had gone onto lead to his compliance. She was just happy that he was going.

"Spooky, you make sure you be good for grandparents, aunt, and uncle," Natsuki told her daughter, kissing her forehead.

"Kaa-san and Momma will come along soon," Shizuru assured the child, also kissing Shinobu's forehead.

"Be good," Shinobu declared, whether it was a promise or an order, it got a smile from both of her mothers.

Natsuki hugged Kenta farewell once he was done with a sloppy goodbye with Nao. Shizuru embraced her mother, father, and her wheelchair bound sister. After that, they were gone and the Otome were left with a mess to clean up. And the mess was only going to get worse.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Garderobe is under attack.

A/N: having never seen a map of Earl before, I drew a crude version of one myself. You can find a link for it at the bottom of my profile. I just think it helps more if I'm going to continue playing around in this universe. I dunno. Ignore me.


	12. Frozen in place

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

12: Frozen in place

Cardair was back in the news with kangaroo courts condemning more nobles and captured Otome to beheadings. The few images that got out of the Empire showed that much of the capital city had been demolished. Any important landmark that symbolized the old regime was torn down. People waiting for their turn to be "judged" were shown in filthy, tiny cages, wounds untreated, and left to see their fates as heads rolled down the main avenue and blood painted once clean sidewalks.

The Otome council had more than enough of Natsuki's staying out of the situation. They called her directly to let her know that they and the "Masters," whoever the hell they were, believed the Otome needed to stop what was happening in Cardair. The "before it spreads" was left unsaid, but heard in the tremble of their voices.

"We're not the world's army," Natsuki pointed out.

"Regardless, we cannot let Cardair be taken over by anarchists."

"So, I'm to march fresh Otome in there with no clue how to stop these weapons that can easily stop our powers, incapacitate us, and have them behead us?" the principal inquired.

"You'll simply overwhelm them with superior forces."

"And lose who knows how many Otome in the process. Not to mention, you don't know the numbers Cardair is working with. We have hundreds of Otome while they probably have thousands of pissed off citizens. This is not a good battle strategy to say the least," Natsuki stated. Above all else, she prided herself on coming up with good battle plans to avoid as many causalities as possible, but it sounded like the Council just wanted to try to smother a fire without knowing how big it was.

"We will not let your sympathies get in the way of doing the right thing."

"The right thing? You mean possibly getting dozens of young women killed in a conflict that has nothing to do with them and well possibly killing hundreds of citizens who are demanding their government change to help them?" she snapped. While she agreed that the citizens of Cardair was not going about their freedom issues the correct way, it was their country. She had nothing to do with that as far as enforcing any rules or laws.

"Mind your place."

"My place is protecting my students."

"Oh, yes, you've done a great job so far. Two missing, presumed captured, possibly dead, and nine murdered in the streets of Cardair."

Natsuki frowned. "And you'd like to add to that number by rushing a bunch of Otome into an admitted disaster with who knows what kind of weapons. You could be sentencing them all to rapid deaths."

"They are soldiers."

"Yeah, exactly! You're involving them in a foreign country's business and making it worse, you're rushing into the matter without a lot of information. We have no clue what is going in Cardair beyond the few messages Otome have been able to get out and news reports from journalists that spend most of their time hiding and dodging bullets. This could be a suicide mission," the principal huffed.

"You just want to sit on your hands until the Reactionaries are in control."

"You keep saying that, but you don't have any proof of it and what the hell would I gain if the fucking Reactionaries won?" Natsuki practically hollered. "None of that makes sense! What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"Principal, that language is totally unnecessary."

"No, your reasoning is totally unnecessary! Would you be so quick to sign these ladies' death warrants if they were your daughters or your sisters? I'm not in such a rush to do that!"

"Well, principal, it doesn't matter what you're in a rush to do. You _will_ take the Otome into battle in Cardair."

Natsuki growled. "Why? So the Masters can stay in power? Otome shouldn't be playing in politics—"

"Your opinion was not asked for."

"But, you're getting it just the same!" Of course, they would not because they simply ended the call. Natsuki screamed in frustration and tossed the phone across the room, watching it shatter into tiny bits. She felt like she was coning apart at the seams while the world went mad. "Who the hell marches to war without knowing what the fuck the enemy has or how the fuck they're going to stop them!"

She kicked her desk, scuffing the fine wood. Another kick cracked the thing and she was about to put her foot through the damned thing, but realized that it would not get her anywhere. Besides, she had other things to do.

"I've got soldiers to march to their possible doom." She sighed and hung her head. _There has to be another way_. Unfortunately, she had not been able to figure out "the other way" since the whole thing began.

-8-8-8-8-

"We can't invade Garderobe with the amount of weapons that were brought in," Masujiro stated, speaking to Maximilian and a few other rebel leaders. They were gathered in the small house where they were keeping Arika, who was still locked up in a back room.

"Where did they come from in the first place?" Maximilian inquired.

"We're not sure. Men just claimed to have found the cache of weapons randomly and they found out what they were capable of by firing at the Queen's Otome."

Maximilian was quiet for a moment. "Do you believe them?"

"At this point I have no choice. I've never seen the men at meetings, but they claim to be simple out-of-work miners. I have no reasons to dispute that and they're willing to take up arms against the Otome. We just need more arms," Masujiro explained.

The Reactionary orator made a noise deep in his throat. "I'll not have our Revolution set back by this. Already the Otome dogs in the Provinces have begun pushing our people back, trying to round us up in the city to finish us off."

Danton nodded. "But, once those Otome make it here, we do have enough weapons to fight them. They are only a little more than a dozen. We just need to put distance between them, so they can't help each other."

"But, that still leaves us with a school of them right outside our doors. We have to eliminate that threat for our Revolution to live. We can't allow hundreds of them to end up helping the Queen."

The older man nodded again. "We'll figure something out. The Otome aren't immortal."

Before the conversation could go any further, someone burst through the door. He rushed right to the Reactionary leaders. He was out of breath and needed a moment, but tried to explain his presence anyway.

"Scientists … scientists coming. Scientists with … with … with weapons," he reported through deep breaths.

"Weapons? Weapons for us to fight Otome?" Masujiro asked anxiously.

"That's the claim. They just entered the city limits. We weren't sure what to do."

"We should meet them outside. We don't know who they are or what they want. No need to show them our base just yet," Maximilian reasoned.

Masujiro nodded in agreement and the pair left with several bodyguards, who were just average Windbloom subjects; they would be citizens when the revolution was done if they had it their way. They found the caravan of scientists not too far from the downtown area, which was deserted. While there were still people living in the city, they had tried to get away from areas that were heavily trafficked by the rebels.

"There's a lot of them," a bodyguard noted.

"But, what do they want with us?" Maximilian wondered while eyeing the group suspiciously.

"We'll find out," another bodyguard declared as he and the rest of the group rushed out to stop the caravan. The band of bodyguards pulled out weapons, mostly knives, but some guns. They blocked already narrow path through the destroyed urban area.

"Stop!" they ordered while brandishing their weapons.

The caravan came to an immediate halt. There were murmurs from both camps and then the chief scientist emerged from the front van. He held his hands up high as he stepped forward.

"What's your business?" a bodyguard demanded.

"I am Doctor Emiliano Tojo. We're here to aid the revolution. We've come with our own special weaponry to fight off the ruling class and their dogs," the scientist reported, giving a small bow that allowed him to continue watching the rebels.

"The ruling class? Who are you?"

"We're just a band of Reactionary scientists. We call ourselves the Mad Scientists because we are angry about the state of the world today. We've been working on weapons to stop Otome for a while now. We want to use them to fuel the revolution. They've already helped the people of Cardair. We want to do the same here," Doctor Tojo announced.

"Why would you want to help us? You're not from Windbloom," Masujiro pointed out.

"On the contrary, we're from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Our group is made up of people from all over the world, Windbloom included. We are of the world. We came together with the hope of starting our own worldwide revolution, but now that Windbloom and Cardair have begun to fight back, we want to help these causes because we have the means to and you have the means to put our hard work to good use. We've already loaned you some of our strength. One of our scientists leaked several weapons to you. We've got hundreds more and a variety of things you haven't even had the pleasure of seeing."

"Hundreds?" Masujiro whispered, practically drooling at the thought. "We'd be able to launch our assault against Garderobe."

"Steady, man. We don't know these men," Maximilian pointed out.

"We need to make a move. We should take out the Otome before Mashiro gets her army together. We don't want to fight two enemies, especially if the Otome are helping the Queen. She'll be back in power and all of this would be for naught," Masujiro retorted.

Maximilian could not argue that. He nodded his agreement and reluctantly accepted the scientists into the fold. He supposed it would be worth it if they could deliver, but he hoped that things did not go the way things had been in Cardair. He was certain that the people of Cardair had lost sight of their purpose and simply given into pure revenge. He did not want their movement to go that way because he feared that when the smoke settled, the states quo would be maintained. But, it was like Masujiro said, if they ended up fighting the Otome and the Queen's army together without proper equipment and lost, then everything would have been for nothing anyway.

"And all that will be left of the notion of equality is blood and slaughter," he sighed. The movement would be set back by at least a hundred years if they ruined their chances now. Equality and the people's rights would be a distant dream.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki gathered all of the Otome that were at Garderobe. It was just over two hundred women. It was a large chunk of the active Otome on the planet, but not every single one. They had been there to help find Sara Gallagher. Now, they might be racing to their deaths, depending on their reactions to her words. She took a deep breath, wanting to say the right thing to make sure they all thought before they acted.

"Ladies, I have asked you all here because we have another crisis on our hands," Natsuki announced. She did her best to keep her shoulders squared, but it was hard. She could not do a thing about the lines under her eyes or the black circles.

"Who'd you'd lose now?" someone called and earned a few laughs.

Natsuki took the remark in stride, along with the laughter. She was over the attitude toward her. She had never felt so tired in all of her life, as if everything that piled up on her and beat her into the ground. She wanted everything done now and she walked to be able to sit down, not thinking about anything ever again unless it had something to do with her wife and child. The rest of the world could vanish.

"The Otome Council along with some of the Masters have decided that we need to go into Cardair and put down the Bloody Rebellion," Natsuki informed them in a dull voice. The media had taken to referring to the situation in Cardair as the "Bloody Rebellion" since several Otome, nobles, palace guards, and "enemies of the People" had been publicly executed and their bodies put on display as a warning to any other "enemies of the People."

"It's about time someone made you do the right thing, New Philosophical coward!"

"Whoa, we don't have any business getting involved with a civil dispute in Cardair!" another Otome objected.

"Otome are getting killed! We have every right to be involved!"

"Otome are soldiers for their countries above all else! If we get involved without our Masters' permissions, we can cause all kinds of international problems! The Council can't do that!"

"The Council has made its decision, but you all have your own minds. You know what you want to do or you can at least make your own decisions once you have all the information. Unfortunately, for this, we don't have all the information. We don't know how the Cardair Reactionaries are taking down Otome, we don't know what might happen if we do go into Cardair, and we don't know what the Council might do if we don't go into Cardair. We don't know how many people are rebels in Cardair and we wouldn't know how to recognize them if we did. Reports have come in that even children have been shooting at nobles and the military," the principal told them.

"Children?" Mai clearly gasped.

"Bullshit, principal! You just don't want us to go because you want the fucking rebels to win and you don't care how many Otome die in the process!" someone called out.

Natsuki growled. "Now, that's pure bullshit! If I didn't care about your lives, I'd sent you all to Cardair all hyped up and gung-ho with no fucking clue as to what was going on in Cardair! I refuse to do that! I won't order any of you into Cardair. It's your decision to make and I will take personal responsibility for any of you that refuse to go! Those of you that do go, I'll not hold it against you and do my best to smooth it over with your Masters. I may have my beliefs, but they don't rule over my reasoning. Going into Cardair turns the Otome into something other than we are meant to be. If we go into Cardair, then why not Windbloom and if we do that, what about the next national incident? Do we go in then? Do we go into civil wars? Simple riots? Do we go into every request? Worse, do we go in when there are no requests? Do we go in any and every time an Otome asks for help? Do we go in with or without our Masters' permissions?"

There were mumblings amongst the crowd. Natsuki took Shizuru's hand and squeezed slightly. The tawny-haired woman was standing by her spouse's side as always. She squeezed back.

"I can't believe we're even talking about this! Animals claiming to be people have killed Otome in streets of Cardair with an audience watching! I, for one, won't stand for it!" An Otome stormed out without looking back.

Natsuki held her breath as she waited to see who would follow suit. The wait was not long, only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Slowly, but surely several women followed and left until almost half of them were gone. Natsuki sighed, but refused to let it get to her. She was surprised to see that Miss Maria remained. She was certain that the ancient Otome would have been the one to lead the charge. She was also surprised to see Shiho had remained behind. The proud Cardairian should have been the first to leave, but instead she understood that as the Otome of Florince, she had duties to her Master before her birth country.

"Well, principal, what now?" Chie asked curiously. That always seemed to be the question of the hour.

"We still have two missing Otome and they're our top priority," Natsuki reminded them. "We also have to try to learn more about these weapons being used against the Otome because those may have been used against Arika. That means those weapons could be right in our backyard. We have to take caution. The more we find out, the more information we can also give to those that left for Cardair and hopefully aid them."

"Shouldn't we at least fight the people with these weapons? They're clearly designed to take us out," Shiho pointed out.

"We could fight them if we knew who they were. They're mingling with the Reactionaries. Hell, they might be Reactionaries. We don't know. Nao, do you think you could find out?" Natsuki requested.

Nao shrugged. "I'll do my best, but it's a mad house out there. I don't know if I'll be able to find my usual sources. But, I'll try." She rushed off right after that, understanding how important it all was.

"Now what?" Chie pressed.

Natsuki pulled out a small baggie from her inside jacket pocket. "We use dogs to track Arika." She had had the idea for days now, but never had the time to do because there seemed to be a million things going on. That seemed to be her problem; there was not enough time to think, which was why she could hardly even react to anything.

"How did you get an article of Arika's clothing?" Shizuru asked curiously.

"Stole it from Mashiro," Natsuki easily admitted with a shrug. She had lifted the small handkerchief from the Queen that she knew belonged to Arika as soon as the opportunity presented itself. She did not bother asking for it because she did not want to deal with Mashiro's bratty behavior. She understood that the Queen was under a lot of stress, but she did not think that excused the way Mashiro had regressed so much that she did not even want to deal with the younger woman, ever again if it could be helped.

Shizuru chuckled and kissed Natsuki on the cheek. "You're going back to being a bad girl. Brilliant."

The pale woman preened. She decided to get moving, knowing a man with dogs that would help them. It took time to get hold of him, which she expected considering the chaos in Windbloom. He had been hiding in an abandoned shop in one of the more pristine neighborhoods in the city. He agreed to help, but she would need to go to him in the city. Before she even made it to the gate, Nao was on her way back and practically tackled the principal back into the main building.

"What the hell, Nao?" Natsuki demanded.

"They're fucking lining up to attack!" the redhead reported in a hurried tone.

"Who is lining up to attack?"

"The fucking Reactionaries! I went out there and found out that these bastards somehow got an arsenal of Otome-stopping fire power and they're getting into formation to take us out!"

"Motherfucker!" Natsuki screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I'm so serious! I had to sneak in here. They're coming close. We need to do something!"

"No shit! Let's go!" Natsuki yanked Nao down the hall just as shoots were fired into the school. "Fuck!" The pale woman ducked, pulling Nao down with her.

"Dammit, I didn't think they'd attack so soon," the redhead hissed.

Natsuki began to crawl forward with Nao following behind her. She used her GEM to open a line of communication. "Hey, Yohko, patch me into the school PA system!"

"All right, but what's going on? What was that noise? It seemed closer than the other noise coming from Windbloom," Yohko said.

"That's because motherfuckers are actually fucking shooting at the school! So, put me through to the PA system, so I can get the students to safety and then teach these dumb motherfuckers how fucking stupid it is to shoot at me and mine!" Natsuki roared. She would be damned if she would let anyone harm the girls while she was around.

"You're in," the chief medical officer informed her.

"Attention all students, staff, and visitors, this is Principal Kruger. Blowback from the situation in Windbloom has made its way to our doorstep. Everyone needs to report to the designated shelter areas now! I repeat, everyone needs to report to the designated shelter areas now! Drop everything you're doing and go to the shelter!" Natsuki ordered. "That's all." The announcement was then played on a loop in case anyone missed it. She could kiss Yohko for doing that.

"Where are we going?" Nao inquired.

"The shelter. I need to organize a proper defense, which is why I didn't say we were under attack. We have too many hotheads here right now. They can charge to their deaths on their own time."

"I don't think I'll ever understand you. These people have treated you like shit for the most part since this whole mess started, actually before this whole mess started, and you still worry about them not getting killed if they chose to diss you and try to be heroes."

Natsuki shrugged. "Their feelings about me don't factor in. I'm responsible for them and I have to do what's in their best interest. It's part of the job and part of being a good person."

"And people really wonder why you're into New Philosophy, even though you're a princess and an Otome? Idiots," the redhead chuckled. "Now, let's get the fuck out of here, so we can come up with a plan to fuck these dumb Reactionaries in the ass!"

The Second Column nodded and they crawled their way to a stairwell that led to the underground bunkers. The sound of broken glass and debris followed them until they had it to a room that required an access code. Natsuki punched in the numbers and they entered.

"Principal Kruger, what's going on out there?" an Otome asked as soon as she crossed the threshold of the room. The small, underground chamber was filled with the visiting Otome. The other bunkers held the students and staff, who had to keep the students calm.

"Right now, it's just some stuff from Windbloom spilling into our front yard," Natsuki said, moving through the room to another door. It, too, required an access code. The door led to a small office, where Natsuki released a sigh as soon as the door slid shut.

"So, what now, genius?" Nao inquired.

"I need to see what we're dealing with," Natsuki replied as she turned on several monitors in the room. The screens showed the perimeter of the school. She shook her head at what she was seeing. They were surrounded by people and being suppressed by automatic weapons that were just raining down bullets on the whole campus.

"That looks even more fucked up than it did in person," the redhead commented with worried lime green eyes.

"We'll think of something. Do they have anti-Otome weapons?"

"According to people I know, yeah, they do. They have a shit load of them and they're planning to use it on us."

Natsuki nodded, her eyes remaining focused on the screens. "So, they're more them likely just trying to lure us out there with all of this gunfire. Maybe if we could go in behind them –" Her thoughts were interrupted by the other person that had the code to the door and one of the last people that the principal wanted to see, Miss Maria.

"Principal Kruger," Miss Maria started, but gasped when she saw what was on the monitors. "We're under attack. We're under attack and you knew," she hissed, leveling a heated glare at the pale woman that was totally unfamiliar to Natsuki. It looked like hate.

"I don't want anyone to panic –" Natsuki tried to explain, but the older woman cut her off.

"Oh, so no one would hurt your precious Reactionaries! All this time, I figured you were just trying to be cautious, but we're under attack by average men with more than likely average weapons and you have us hiding down here like scared rats! What the hell happened to you? Have you lost all self-respect, courage, or are you trying to embarrass the Council because they disagreed with you?" Miss Maria hollered.

Natsuki snarled. "Are you fucking mental, old woman? This has nothing to do with that! I'm not that fucking petty!"

Miss Maria turned and marched out, turning her attention to the visiting Otome. "Attention, the school is under attack and the principal lied about. We can march on the few hundred people daring to take us on!"

"What!" dozens of outraged Otome shouted.

"Follow me, ladies, and we'll deal with the principal later," Miss Maria declared and there was a rallying cry as the Otome began leaving the room.

"No! Don't leave! We need to think this through because they have anti-Otome technology!" Natsuki hollered, but she was met with accusations of being a liar as the room cleared out. The only Otome left were her wife, a few close friends, and people that trusted her. Again, she found it odd that Shiho remained behind. She wondered if Shiho was following Chie's lead.

"You really know how to clear a room," Nao teased her.

Natsuki snarled. "Fuck!"

"Calm down. The idiots made their decisions. Let's see what it looks like on the big screen and then we might be able to figure out what to do. Of course, if they successfully repeal the attack we look like cowards and you'll probably get fired," Nao pointed out.

The Second Column only shrugged. She could care less about being fired and she was already considered a liar, traitor, and a dozen other things. Being called a coward was just a drop in the bucket now. So, the small group of less than ten went back into room to see what was going on.

Their colleagues were outside, their shields holding against the automatic gunfire. But, as they charged forward, things quickly changed. A few fell as if wounded as the shooting persisted. Natsuki shook her head.

"They're mixing the anti-Otome rounds with the fucking regular ammo," the principal sighed. "They wanted us to charge out there like muscle-brained oxen."

"Now, what?" Shiho asked.

"Yeah, what octopus head said," Chie remarked with a teasing grin. "Although, I'm surprised you stayed."

Shiho growled and glared at the Aries Otome. "While I don't like what's going on in Cardair, my Master told me to stay out of it and I'm professional, unlike others who have to rush into Windbloom because her girlfriend lives there."

Natsuki ignored the bickering and squinted as she studied each screen as more Otome fell while trying to help their comrades. It was like having just that moment to pause and observe allowed her brain to click back on from passive to active. Her eyes darted back and forth as she watched their enemies starting to advance. She nodded to herself.

"They're concentrating on the firing the front, drawing our attention there, but the left is what's taking us down. Chie give us a shield, everybody else just draw their attention, and I'm blasting a fucking in that left side," Natsuki proclaimed.

"How can you tell it's the left?" Anh inquired.

"The guns look different from the frontal assault and the back up on the right and mostly the people on our left are falling," the principal explained. "Once the left side is done, we can take out the rest."

"Then Natsuki can relax and stop cursing," Shizuru commented.

Natsuki save her wife an apologetic smile. They all moved out, knowing that they did not have much of a plan to work with, but it was better than nothing. They broke apart as they got outside into the heavy fire. Dozens of Otome littered the ground with dozens more trying to push forward.

"Don't get killed!" Natsuki ordered everyone as they activated their Robes.

Chie threw out her hand to put up a shield only for them to find out that the anti-Otome bullets went through the shield. "Shit! Natsuki-sama, we've got a problem!"

"On top of the trillion of others!" Natsuki screamed in disbelief.

"My shield doesn't stop the bullets!" Chie reported.

"Then do it the old fashioned way!" Haruka shouted as she charged forward as if it was a normal battle.

Natsuki dug her heels in and called forth her Element. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the enemies advancing, putting some of the fallen Otome behind enemy lines. They drew closer to an isolated Miss Maria, ready to overtake the ancient Otome. Natsuki locked and loaded as Miss Maria went down. Shizuru came over to defend the older woman. Natsuki fired just as her wife went down a few feet from Miss Maria.

"Shizuru!" Natsuki screamed as she blasted the left flank of their enemy.

The single shot of her cannon was more than enough to back the enemy up, considering it tore up and froze a huge section of the school. Smoke and dust flew up, covering the battlefield. A shot clipped her in the shoulder, twisting her body around and painting the grass with her blood. She growled as she remained on her feet.

"Shizuru!" she called as the smoke cleared. The enemy was gone, along with several Otome … her wife included. "Shizuru!"

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the Queen's army gets into the act.


	13. Crumbling and decaying

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

13: Crumbling and decaying

Mashiro was still attempting to amass her army. She had most of her generals, which there were not many of, but found some of her lower officers were either with the Reactionaries or just not with her. Many of the soldiers were the same. She knew that she did not have enough men to simply overwhelm the rebels as she had originally planned, but she still planned to destroy the rebels. _And get everything back to normal and then maybe everyone can see that I do want to fix the country_.

Even though she did not have the superior numbers that she was going to count on, she was certain that her professionally trained military could take on a group of ragtag, unemployed plebeians. Her generals assured her that victory would be theirs in one battle. Her soldiers gave her much the same confidence. After that, she would have time to work on fixing her image, which she was certain would be as easy as taking out the rebels, and then everyone could rebuild the nation with her. And then, she received news that shook her faith in the notion of an easy victory.

The single scout in her group reported that the Rebels were attacking Garderobe. Apparently, the Rebels were winning the battle according to the scout. If the Rebels could take on the Otome and come away victorious, Mashiro was not sure her army could handle them. After all, her army did not have super powers. But, she shook that doubt away.

"We can and will destroy all of those rebellious bastards," the Queen vowed. She was sitting at a desk in her private office in her underground bunker. Aoi was next to her, alternating between eyeing her and staring at the floor. She noted that her maid looked depressed, which she guessed had to do with Aoi leaving her girlfriend behind, but she did not think on it too much. There were more important things to consider and Aoi needed a better girlfriend anyway; a girlfriend that knew her place and was not from a country that supported the rebels. In fact, she would make that suggestion when everything was over.

"Your highness, more reports are coming in about the rebels and the Otome," a junior officer stated as he entered the small office. The bunker had a dozen rooms, complete with a washroom and bedroom for the Queen.

Mashiro tried to ignore how anxious Aoi appeared, but it was difficult to do so. Aoi looked close to tears, probably worried that she had lost her lover. Mashiro could relate. _Arika, please be safe_.

"What's going on?" the Queen asked.

"The Rebels are in a slow retreat. A shot from a weapon on the Garderobe campus took out a huge piece of their militia."

"Retreat? Are they still on the streets then?"

"They're falling back as we speak, ma'am. My commanding officer actually wanted to know if you wanted to pursue them. We could cut them off and then take them by surprise, ma'am."

Mashiro frowned at being called "ma'am." She noted that everyone was calling her that now. Aoi assured her that it was because they were all military, but Mashiro was sure that it was more. They did not seem to respect her as the Queen, even though they were following her.

"Go after them and crush them," Mashiro commended in a hard tone. The junior officer dashed away while she glanced at Aoi, who was staring at the damned floor again. "What?" the Queen demanded.

"Do you really think it's the right thing to track these people down to engage them in the street?" the maid asked.

"They're trying to discredit me and take my country, so yes!" Mashiro barked.

Aoi shook her head. "Maybe there is another way because they clearly believe they have some claim to this country, too."

"I don't care what they claim. They're not taking my country and they're going to learn not to defy me. Everyone is going to learn not to defy me. I am the Queen. I am the Queen!"

Aoi ground her teeth together, but she did not say anything else. Mashiro was glad for silence. She did not want to hear anything beyond agreements with her plans because she was damned certain that she was right. She was the Queen, after all. Everything that she did was right.

-8-8-8-8-

"Shizuru!" Natsuki snarled, shaking off the pain in her shoulder. She had been shot by one of the anti-Otome guns and she was watching her Robe fall away, but she tried to will it to remain. She needed her Robe to retrieve her wife. "Shizuru!" Her voice seemed to cut through the awful den around her.

She stumbled forward, planning to chase the retreating Reactionaries. She tried to fly, but her Robe refused to cooperate. The muscles in her legs burned as she ran off, figuring she would run them down if necessary. Panting, she was determined to find them and tear them apart for taking her wife. A few steps forward and her head was swimming as the hole in her shoulder burned as if lava was pouring from it. Her fury burned hotter, though.

"Shizuru!" she bellowed, her mouth hanging open as she breathed deep. "Shizuru!"

"Natsuki, get down!" Haruka tackled her to the ground.

The pale woman growled as she tried to push the blond Otome off of her. She could not get the power that she needed thanks to her wound. Haruka pressed into her the more she struggled. It felt like her bones were turning to powder, but she tried as much as she could get away from Haruka.

"Shizuru!" Natsuki hollered with tears stinging her eyes. Her fingers clawed at Haruka and her nails bit into the blond's flesh as she attempted to escape.

"Stay down or do you want to get shot?" Haruka barked.

Natsuki reeled, but then suddenly became aware of the sounds of war around them. Bullets were whizzing by them and she realized that the rebels were shooting as they retreated. But, they were still retreating with her spouse, her daughter's mother.

"Shizuru!" Natsuki screamed, wiggling and tearing, but getting nowhere.

"Dammit, Natsuki, snap out of it! We'll get her back, but we need you in your right frame of mind!" Haruka pointed out. "For now, we need to fall back. Fall back!" she ordered since the principal clearly was in no frame of mind to make that decision.

Natsuki was halfway in the proper frame of mind because she did not resist as Haruka dragged her to safety. The other Otome that had not been taken by the rebels made it back to the safety of the main administration building. They collected themselves and took note of casualties.

"Natsuki, we need to get that wound looked at," Haruka said.

"It doesn't matter. I need to go get Shizuru," Natsuki declared. She growled as she struggled to stand, but her legs were not cooperating. Not to mention, her brain was still dizzy to a degree and she had trouble getting her balance together. It felt like every nerve, muscle, and bone was being eaten by acid, but she did not care. Her blood had stained her jacket and was dripping down her pale arm, cutting a dark crimson path all the way down to her fingertips. She barely noticed that.

"Natsuki!" Anh chided the principal in a way that she had to have taught or studied from her former room attendant. She sounded so much like Shizuru that Natsuki froze in place and Haruka grabbed the principal.

"You're shot. You need to let Yohko-sensei patch you up," Haruka stated soundly.

The Second Column panted and eyes wandered the area frantically, but she allowed the blond to lead her to the medical room with all of the other casualties, both living and dead. Emerald eyes darted around the room, clearly not seeing anything. Haruka had to hold her up because there was no space to sit in the medical room. She waited for Yohko to just inspect her wound, which was not life-threatening, beside how much she was bleeding, so the principal was left to wait for treatment.

"Natsuki! Focus! We need you to focus," Anh barked, snapping her fingers in front of Natsuki's face.

"Shizuru. Shizuru," Natsuki chanted as if it was the one thing she could say, trying to wander off again. She tried to push Haruka's arms away from her, but Haruka was able to hold her off.

"Someone has to snap her out of it," Chie pointed out.

They all looked at each other, daring one of them to do what was necessary. No one really had the gall to do what needed to be done. And, then, Miss Maria stepped up to the plate. She glared down at Natsuki for a moment, but she did not even register to the pale woman. Emerald eyes doing a thousand yard stare.

"Miss Kruger," Miss Maria snapped, going back to what she called Natsuki when she first made the troublesome girl's acquaintance.

Natsuki did not even blink. "Shizuru," she breathed, trying to go off again. She tried pushing Haruka away once more, but the Aries general held her firm.

Miss Maria sighed and raised her hand, striking the principal across the cheek. The slap echoed through the room and seemed to suck all the noise out of the area as it dissipated. Her face reddened instantly, but her eyes finally focused. They also hardened as she realized who was standing before her.

"How dare you!" Natsuki bellowed and she reached out, grabbing the older woman by the throat. "You're the reason she's gone! You did this!" She pushed off, ignoring all of the pain in her body and shoving Miss Maria into the nearest wall. She made sure to slam Miss Maria as hard as possible.

"Principal!" Chie and Haruka shouted as they rushed over, taking Natsuki by the shoulders, pressing on her wound. It was surreal because she did not even seem to realize they were there, let alone causing her agony.

"You got Shizuru taken! You didn't want to fucking listen to me! Everybody fucking knows better than me and I'm a fucking liar! You got my wife taken, you got the mother of my child taken, you got the love of my damned life taken! If she dies, I swear to fuck I'll kill you myself! I will kill you myself with my bare fucking hands!" Natsuki promised, looking Miss Maria dead in the eye for the older woman to see just how serious she was.

"Natsuki, calm down," Anh implored in a soft tone, especially since it seemed like the principal was about to make good on her promise at that very moment. "We'll get her back, but for that to happen, we need you at your best. We need you to figure this out. We need you to lead us."

The pale woman growled and slammed Miss Maria again for good measure. "You need me? The person that needs me is in enemy hands, possibly dead. People that think I'm a liar, incompetent, and a traitor surround me and look at me with suspicious eyes, as if I planned this whole thing, this whole attack. Even if I had a plan, do you really think the seven of us are going to be able to cause a dent in the rebel forces, especially considering I can't materialize my Robe?" she demanded, staring Anh dead in the eye.

"Considering the fact that the plan you thought of in less than thirty seconds with eight of us enabled us to foil the enemy's invasion of the school and pull most of wounded into the school, I think we have a better chance with you, even if you don't have your Robe, then we do with you just diving into the pits of despair," the older princess pointed out.

Natsuki scowled and fumed so visibly that it was surprising smoke did not come off of the top of her head. "Fine, but we're not going to get anywhere. I'm a liar and playing at my own agenda to help the Reactionaries win. As I said, people looked at me as if I had orchestrated the attack on our school," she sneered.

"We don't all feel that way," Yohko stated, walking over to the heated principal. She put her hand on Natsuki's shoulder before continuing. "Many of us still trust you, trust you with our lives, trust you to protect us, and trust you to lead us to victory."

"Only a handful," Natsuki spat.

"More than that," an injured Otome spoke up. "We should've listened to you and we definitely shouldn't have insulted you. We need you if we want to come out of this all right because you were right. We shouldn't have charged out into a situation without any information and we definitely shouldn't have charged in without a plan."

"Let me patch you up and then you can decide what you want to do," Yohko said to Natsuki in a soft tone.

The principal snorted and went off with the doctor. Yohko stripped off Natsuki's jacket and vest, revealing a large, but clean bullet wound. It was so surprising that Natsuki could move her arm with such an injury. She barely reacted as Yohko worked on her, clearing half in shell-shock and half focused on getting her wife back.

"I'm going to take simples of your blood. Hopefully, I'll be able to learn more about these anti-Otome weapons because this looks far more advanced than what that evil girl did to you before," Youko informed her.

"Do what you have to do. I'll do the same," Natsuki stated with a snarl curling her top lip. She was certainly going to do what she needed and she was going to make those Reactionaries regret crossing her.

-8-8-8-8-

The Reactionaries were retreating back to their military base with a few stolen Otome in tow, but they were cut off halfway through a bourgeois neighborhood that once boasted of some of the best small shops in the city and very good quality schools. Bullet fire ripped through closed stores and abandoned condos. Fall back orders came and the rebels took refuge in the nearest buildings before returning fire.

"Hold them off and somebody get the wounded out of here!" Masujiro commanded, automatic rifle in his hands as he blasted over a partially destroyed countertop.

"Which way, sir?"

"Out the back! Captain, you're in change of the wounded and prisoners! Get the prisoners to Straw! He might be able to spin their capture for us!" Masujiro called to a nearby officer. He was certain that Maximilian might somehow use the captured Otome to get even more people on their sides, just as he had done with that evidence against the Queen. With words, he had gotten more people to their cause than any of the outraged destruction and he did it through information the Queen probably did not even know and yet people were upset with her.

"All right!" the appointed captain, a former military man, replied. He was one of those officers that joined the movement after Maximilian's announcement.

Masujiro pushed the other troops forward, motioning for more fire. He watched as the wounded were hustled out the back. He hoped that Mashiro did not have troops that way or they would end surrounded and the Revolution would be over. But, thankfully, the suppression fire only seemed to be coming from one direction.

"Does anybody see anything?" Masujiro shouted as he scanned the buildings across the street where the shots seemed to be coming from.

"Up there!" a rebel called.

"Fifth floor!" another added.

Looking up, Masujiro could see the head of a soldier in the top story of the small office building and smiled a bit. "They've trapped themselves! There's a wide alley behind that building and nowhere to go from the top floor! Press them! Press them!"

The group continued firing as they moved to get into position to storm the building. They slowly entered the building, hearing retreating footsteps. Shots were still exchanged, but as the rebels made it to the top, they learned that the Queen's forces had not actually trapped themselves. At the top of the building was a makeshift bridge was formed by a bulletin board that had fallen from the neighboring building. More interesting than that, though, were the explosives that the retreating forces left on the roof.

"Fall back!" was screamed right before the small bombs went off, causing the roof to collapse along with shrapnel flying all over the place. The top windows even blew out.

Glass and brick rained down on the streets below, as well as catching many rebels that were still on the street. The explosion was enough to collapse in the building and tore through some nearby buildings and homes. Other explosions sounded, as it seemed the Queen's forces tried to predict where the rebels would fall back to. Everyone ran for cover as a thick, dark grey smoke cloud covered the path of the Queen's forces. The shots stopped as the smoke cleared and revealed a completely devastated block.

The Reactionary troops retreated as soon as it was safe to do so. Their stomps smashed broken dreams and lives. In their marching, they passed crushed appliances, torn toys, and the occasional body, sometimes a small body. The destruction made it hard to tell what or who fell those precious souls, in the right place at the wrong time.

They had made it back to the cathedral that was their military stronghold. It was located in a partially destroyed part of the city that was mostly deserted. Masujiro was certain that they would have to move their headquarters as soon as possible, though. The cathedral was not fortified and it would not be easy to do so, even though the area around them did work to their benefit. There was only a backdoor out if they needed to flee and the basement did not hold many supplies if they needed to barricade themselves inside. They needed something more.

"What happened? Did the assault fail?" Maximilian inquired anxiously, almost like a nagging wife, as soon as Masujiro entered the cathedral.

"No, the assault didn't fail. We ran into one complication at Garderobe and one more on the way back, but we have definitely made things hard for both the Otome and Queen. We need to move right now and we definitely cannot go back to that small hovel for anything," Masujiro responded, already looking around for the things that they should take and what could be left behind. The "hovel" that he was referring to was their original headquarters. It was located near the neighborhood that they had just come from and possibly in the direction that the Queen's forces fled.

"But, the Queen's Otome!" Maximilian objected. They had left the young woman chained in the storage room because he had planned to return there for political meetings, and he would use her to help control the Queen. It was to be the place that they negotiated peace and restored order to the country as well as enact a new government.

"We'll have to leave her there. The Queen's army is organized and in the city. They could be searching for all of the Reactionaries, making sweeps of any standing structure. We need to focus on properly avoiding them and finding them to stop them before we worry about what to do with the Queen's Otome. We can continue pressing the Otome because we did plenty of damage to them. They can't stand against those weapons and they charged us like fools, marching into waves of bullets. Unfortunately, we lost quite a bit of those weapons in a damned blast from one of those bitches," Masujiro growled.

Maximilian seemed a bit surprised, but did not get a chance to explain why. The chief Mad scientist scrolled over, interjecting himself into the conversation. Masujiro and Maximilian tensed at the intrusion.

"You plan to attack the Otome again?" Doctor Tojo inquired with a small smirk on his pale face.

"Once we get situated, yes. Are there still weapons for us to us?" Masujiro countered.

"We have more than the guns if you want this next assault to be more than the touch-and-go operation you did today. We have all sorts of goodies to battle against the Otome," the scientist answered.

"You'll tell us about everything you have and we'll plan the next attack. For now, we need to move out. There's no telling how many units the Queen might have wandering the city. We don't want to risk them finding us," Masujiro reasoned.

No one argued with that logic. Masujiro glanced at the captured Otome, some unconscious and all bleeding. He figured that he would have a use for them if Maximilian did not. But, that would have to wait until they were safe.

-8-8-8-8-

Mashiro smiled as her troops reported back that they were able to ambush the rebels. The small group had pinned down the rebels and lured them into a trap, certain that they had slaughtered the band in a series collapsing buildings. Aoi listened as well, but remained silent as the soldiers made a glowing report about where they tripped the trap and how the rebels were certainly dead and what a damned fine job they had all done. They clearly thought they deserved praise and Mashiro wasted no time giving it to them, promising them all sorts of things. Aoi damn near threw up in her mouth as the words poured into her brain. She did not speak as the soldiers took their leave and the Queen looked pleased with herself.

"See? I have the situation under control," Mashiro told Aoi with a confidence that certainly was not due this silly little girl.

The maid scowled. "Under control? You call that under control?" She sucked her teeth and shook her head. She was not sure if she was more upset with herself for believing in Mashiro or the Queen herself for believing that things would go so perfectly so quickly.

The Queen now frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, now happy that she had stopped taking her maid's advice.

"You don't get it, do you? They're lying to you with that wonderful report! There's no way they took out all of the rebels with one trap! Be serious!" Aoi huffed, throwing her hands up. "You're so arrogant and gullible and you probably don't even realize that the neighborhood that they engaged in is a residential area with middle-class people who actually had nothing to do with any of this shit and were probably still living in their fucking homes!"

Mashiro's hair almost stood on end. "Mind your place!"

Aoi scoffed and curled her lip. "My place? Once upon a time, I was a simple maid! My place was to clean up after you and you're the one that's twisted it! You propped me up to be this confidante only to reject any and all advice that I give you if it's contrary to your own opinion, just like you do everyone else! Making it worse, I follow you around like the faithful dog you seem to think I am only to look at me like I'm despicable whenever I do something you don't want!"

"You're my servant! You're supposed to do what I say!"

"I'm allowed my own thoughts! I don't live and breathe at your behest! You don't control me and you never will. You need to understand that you're not the only person on the planet. We're not all here to entertain you, you're not the smartest person in the room, and your actions have consequences that hurt others because of your position. But, you'll never understand those things, I see that now." Aoi walked out of the office.

"You don't know what you're talking about! And you're my servant! You have to do what I say, like everybody else! I'm the Queen!" the younger woman screamed, but Aoi did not deign to acknowledge her.

Mashiro let out a guttural yell and banged her fists against her desk. There was no way that she was being lied to! The soldiers had to have taken care of most of the rebels because there could not be that many people against her. She was not an awful monarch, she was sure of that. She cared about people and she wanted to make things better. _I built them an amusement park, dammit!_

-8-8-8-8-

The Otome and students of Garderobe had holed up in the infirmary. It seemed like a refugee camp. Suddenly, all eyes were on Natsuki, waiting for her to get a brilliant idea. She was busy working out the fact that her GEM refused to materialize her Robe. She was hoping that the effect of the anti-Otome weapon was temporary or could be overpowered, like she had done when Tomoe kidnapped her. She stared at her hand, trying to will her powers back. So far, she had gotten nowhere.

"Your nanomachines have been rapidly disintegrating in your blood stream since you were shot," Yohko reported, stepping over to the principal, who was sitting on a countertop against a wall. "You more than likely won't have any nanomachines in your body by tomorrow and from what I can tell, if any somehow appear, the serum that you were shot with will continue to devour those nanomachines. I'm not sure how long the serum remains in the body. I hope they don't have anything else than that to use against us."

Natsuki continued staring at her hands. "Can you do something?"

"Not right now. I don't know what we're working with here. I'm running tests to figure something out, but this is way beyond what we saw when you were taken before."

The principal nodded. "How long do you think it'll take?"

"I don't know because I don't know what the hell this is. A team developed it and I am but one woman with two assistants. So, what do you want to do? That's what everyone wants to know, after all."

Natsuki sucked her teeth. "What makes them think I want to come up with something? They're sheep."

"Don't be bitter. You'll need them to get Shizuru back."

There was a scoff. "You really think I'm going to count on them? Really?"

Yohko was saved from having to answer that question as Miss Maria came over with a phone. "It's the Council," the ancient Otome reported, handing the phone to the principal.

"You called the Council?" Natsuki hissed, green eyes blazing.

"Of course not! They called," Miss Maria answered.

Natsuki growled, but took the phone. "You're on speaker," she announced.

"Principal Kruger?"

"Unfortunately," Natsuki answered. Right now, she would pay money to be just about anyone else.

"You need to send all of the Otome to Cardair, not just a fraction of them," came the order.

"Yeah, I can't do that," she replied almost nonchalantly.

"Principal Kruger, the Otome aren't your own personal playthings to use as you see fit!"

"No, just yours and the Masters. No one's going to Cardair. What the hell even happened in Cardair now?" Natsuki asked, certain that the Empire had imploded in on itself and the people drained the Otome of their blood or something just as wild.

"The few Otome you sent have been pinned by the rebels and their damned weapons! They need reinforcements!"

"Is this your solution? Keep throwing Otome at the rebels and hope they run out of ammo?" Natsuki asked and as soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened. That might actually be the best course of action. She needed to contact Laula as soon as she was done. While Laula had left, she was certain that the Lutesian Otome would listen to her idea.

"Well, we can't all rely on our faith that the rebels might win."

Emerald eyes rolled. "You guys are like broken records and while you're worried about maintaining the status quo in Cardair because you love kissing the emperors' asses, you might want to be aware that I can't in good conscience send more Otome to Cardair because Garderobe was just attacked yesterday and half of our Otome are injured." She decided against mentioning just as many now lacked their powers. She definitely did not want to tell her that some were dead because she did not want to hear what sort of crazy scheme they would come up with next.

"What? How could you let that happen?" the question was barked at her. "You're trying to give Garderobe to the Reactionaries in Windbloom, too?"

"Oh, yeah, I totally want them to win," Natsuki said sarcastically.

"You have completely failed, Kruger! Consider yourself terminated as principal!" Eyes went wide around the room.

"Uh-huh. Wanna fire me from being the Second Column, too?" Natsuki suggested.

"Once this matter is resolved, we'll definitely weigh that option! Put Graceburt on the line! She'll take your position until a proper principal is put in place!"

"No, she won't," Miss Maria stated and she ended the call. She turned her gaze to Natsuki. "Since this whole thing began snowballing, no one has listened to you or supported you. The one time a very small group did, you possibly saved the lives of everyone here. I think it's about time we give you the credit we all know you deserve. You've always been a damned fine leader. Now, lead us to victory." The others around cheered.

Natsuki inhaled, ignoring the pain that coursed through her, as she looked around the room. The Otome, people who twenty-four hours ago had looked at her as if she was the most incompetent leader and worst human being on Earl, now wanted her to jump up and rally them. The very idea made her sick and exhausted, but she needed them to get her wife back, not to mention find Arika and Sara. Besides, she could not walk away now, not after the rebels handed her a loss. She could not stand for that.

"Yohko, set up all of the footage of the battle for me," Natsuki ordered.

"On it, principal," Yohko replied with a smile before walking off.

Emerald eyes looked out at the wretched souls of the beaten Otome. "Look, you all heard, I was fired as principal. If you feel like that's going to be a problem, don't stand with me because I'm not going to be magnanimous to anyone who challenges me now. It's your choice now. If you're with me, hands up!"

Students' hands went up first, but the older Otome followed. In less than a minute, every hand in the room was up. Natsuki nodded.

"Good, because I think I have an idea," the Second Column stated. She was about to make those bastards regret taking her wife.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: The rebels spin, Natsuki plans, Mashiro regrets, and Nao finds treasure in the rubble of the city.


	14. Coming together

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

14: Coming together

The Windbloom Reactionaries moved as quickly as possible to establish a hidden headquarters. They packed up their camp at the cathedral and decided to go underground. The city rested on top of not only the ruins of the capital's past incarnations, but also a series of caves near the city limits. The rebels decided that would be the best place to set up.

They would have to scout out the depths of the area to make sure the caves would hold them all and to make sure the caves were unoccupied. The last thing they needed was for the Queen's forces to be down there, too. They did find some citizens that had taken shelter in the caves and had to take charge of them. It would not be prudent for them to allow possible enemies of the revolution to go out and tell the powers that be where they were located. All seemed to be clear after that, so they began setting up.

The Mad Scientists group set up their own section of the camp, needing to take stock of their weapons and other technology to make sure the next attack on Garderobe led to the fall of the Otome. Once everything was in order, they would go through each type of weapon and technology with the rebel leaders, giving them a tutorial on how everything worked. If everything went right, the Otome would be a memory by that time next week.

The Scientists did loan the rebels more bonds to contain their Otome prisoners. Maximilian eyed them suspiciously when they handed over the chains. He had wondered where those came from when they used them against Arika. So, now he had to wonder how his people had gotten a hold of these things before the Mad Scientists showed up.

"Are you all right?" Masujiro asked, coming up behind the young speaker.

"Do you trust them?" Maximilian countered, nodding the direction of the Mad Scientists. They were set up yards away in one of the many nooks of the caverns, but Maximilian felt like they were in the "War Room," which was the section of the caves that he and other lead Reactionaries were settled in.

Danton shrugged. "Their weapons do help, but of course I'm left with some questions. Why did they come here? Surely Cardair would've been the better choice. Cardair is a mighty empire with competent leaders for the most part that need to be brought down with much more sophistication. The Otome dogs there also seemed much more intent on being offensive and trying to bring an end to their revolution. Bringing more weapons to aid the Reactionaries there would've made more sense."

"I was thinking the same. Soon Cardair will get over the shock and respond to the bloodshed. The people may split with the revolution, the emperors might be able to amass a true army to aid them, and a dozen of other things could go wrong with that revolution. They'll need more weapons to sustain themselves against a true counter. Why did they come here instead of Cardair?" Maximilian searched the area with his eyes, as if the answers were lying around.

"I'll have someone watch them. For now, let's go take inventory and try to plan out our next move," Masujiro suggested.

Maximilian nodded and they walked off. It felt like they had a village in the caves, which troubled him because that meant the majority of the people were still in the city or had joined the Queen or had fled rather pick sides. It did not help that they had taken the people that had been in the caves prisoner. They were doing this for the good of all the people. _Why don't they see that?_

Shaking the thought away, he paid attention to the numbers being rattled off to him. The low number of guns was alarming, but people were sent to scavenge for more, as well as for ammunition. He was bothered by the number of men they lost in the little skirmish they had with Mashiro's troops, but worse were the losses from the assault on Garderobe – a battle they had technically won considering the fact that the Otome had not slaughtered the lot of them and they had dealt casualties to the super soldiers. Not to mention, they had got away with prisoners of war.

"Let's see the prisoners," Maximilian suggested.

Masujiro appeared surprised by the proposal. "Are you sure?"

"I'm in the business of war now. It would be wise to examine the assets," Maximilian remarked dryly. While he was not happy to be in such a business, he needed to know what he was working with and how they would be useful to his cause.

Masujiro laughed. "They are that."

Maximilian gave Masujiro a side-glance, but he did not say anything. They marched to a small alcove where a net was draped in front to give the illusion of the room being an enclosed space. He reached out to move the net, but Masujiro grabbed his wrist to stop him, earning a sharp look from the younger man.

"You don't want to touch that. The Mad Scientists put it up to keep the royalist dogs at bay, even though they don't have those special powers anymore. It's electric and contains enough volts to put the bitches in their place," Masujiro explained.

Maximilian nodded and his hand was released. He inspected their bounty, over ten Otome. One especially caught his eye and he smiled.

"Shizuru-san," Maximilian said in an almost kind tone.

Crimson eyes snapped up from the crowd and locked with his own. Something in her gaze froze his blood and stole all the air from his lungs for a moment. He heard Masujiro gasped, so he was aware that he was not the only one affected by her sharp stare. But, after a second, his mind jump-started and recalled that she was locked up and powerless. She was their prisoner, not the other way around.

"Straw-san, how nice to see you again," Shizuru said in her own pleasant voice. From the way she sounded, it would surprise anyone to see she was covered in dirt and blood as well as clapped in chains. He suspected the blood was not hers from how straight and strong she was standing.

"Oh, this is the one you debated," Masujiro realized.

"Yes, she is," Maximilian confirmed with a nod.

"For them to put her on television, does that mean she's high-ranking?" the older woman inquired.

"I believe she was introduced as the deputy headmistress. Sounds high ranking," Maximilian mused.

"She could come in handy. We should interrogate her and the rest of them soon. We can find out what they know about the school's defenses and figure out how to obliterate that damned blight on our country," Masujiro commented.

"I'll leave you to handle that part. Try to get information as to who they all are, also. That information could come in handy. I'm sure we have the daughters of a few nobles, who might be a little more open to our cause if they think they may not see their daughter again."

"I was thinking the same thing. I can handle it. What are you going to do?"

"I want to address the people and try to push the Queen again. I was told there were some civilian casualties in your encounter with her forces. People need to know Mashiro is more than willing to kill them to keep her title."

"Aren't you willing to do the same?" Shizuru inquired in a disturbingly light voice, earning glares from both men.

"Mind your business, wretch!" Masujiro barked.

"We're doing what's best for the country," Maximilian argued.

"Ara, ara, so the ends justify the means?" she said in an absolutely airy tone with a mocking nod. "Telling the people that Queen Mashiro is willing to kill to keep her title, but not point out you're willing to do the same is the markings of a hypocrite."

Maximilian growled. "We're doing what we are for the good of the country! She pushed us this far. All she had to was give us some basic rights and respect that the country belongs to the people, all the people, not a select few, but she didn't even want to that. She wanted to leave us wallowing in the dirt."

Shizuru tilted her head, looking like a curious puppy. "But, isn't your message that the country only belongs to a select group also? You certainly don't include the noble or upper class in your vision of the country."

"They've owned the country long enough and led it to ruin," he snarled.

"And you've done so much better with war in the streets?"

"She started this and turned it into a war!"

A tawny eyebrow arched. "She attacked a school and shot at thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen old girls?"

"They're soldiers," Masujiro hissed. "Don't try to sit here and play innocent. You're all soldiers against our cause and we'll wipe you out. We won't let you put the royalists back into power. We won't let you have this country anymore. It's our time."

Shizuru smirked and Maximilian had never felt so trapped in his life. There was something beyond frightening about this slight, rather elegant woman. Something ethereal, something almost monstrous. It was like she was not a woman, but a succubus, planning to suck the life out of him, Masujiro, and their movement and smile as their hollowed out husks drifted off on dusty winds.

"You'll be the first to be interrogated," Masujiro decided before storming away.

Shizuru did not appear fazed. She clearly knew something that they did not and it made Maximilian's skin crawl. Honestly, he wanted to just get rid of her, but that was impossible. She could be useful, very useful.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki sat at a desk in the infirmary, trying to get a hold of Laula. She hoped that the blue-haired Otome was still alive and continued to have a working GEM, but both seemed unlikely as she was unable to contact Laula. Sighing, she took a break and called Nao over. The redhead left a small group and stood before the Second Column.

"What's the plan?" Nao inquired.

"I need weapons," Natsuki answered. "ASAP."

Nao nodded, as if that was simple enough. "What kind and when?"

"ASAP and any kind that we train with."

A sly smile curled onto a youthful visage. "You want to fight them on their terms."

"Exactly. What they fail to take into account is that we are trained warriors. Yes, we have powers, but we can fight hand-to-hand and we have weapons training. It seems like we forget, too, and that's why the Reactionaries have been taking us out. We rely on our powers too much. Time to change it up," Natsuki declared with a smile.

"We can get weapons, too," Haruka chimed in, motioning between her and Chie. She also showed that everyone was listening to anything that came out of Natsuki's mouth, whether it was directed toward them or not.

"How long would it take?" Natsuki asked.

"A few days, mostly because we'd have to figure out how to them in here without the rebels noticing," Chie explained.

"No, that's good. Anybody else that can get weapons, set it up and get them. A few days wait time should be good," Natsuki said.

"You want to go on the offensive already?" Miss Maria inquired.

The pale woman shook her head. "Not yet. I want to play with them a little bit, which is what I'm trying to call Laula about. Yohko-sensei, is Laula's GEM still active?"

Yohko was across the room, monitoring dozens of patients and other things, but she heard the Second Column clearly. "It's still active. You have to remember she might be in a combat situation. Why not try someone else?"

Natsuki snorted. "No one else will listen to me, even if I told them where to find gold at this point. Not to mention, I'm sure they all know I was fired, so they don't even have a reason to listen to me. Me and Laula have our hotheaded moments, but I can talk sense to her if my idea will help her win a battle." Despite their issues now, Laula had been a friend of Natsuki's when they were in school, after Natsuki managed to open up a little.

"What's your plan? I could suggest to another Otome," Miss Maria pointed out.

"It's a bit dangerous, but better than being publicly beheaded. They need to use projectile weapons, their Otome powers should be fine, but they can get help from the Otome that have lost their powers by having them use regular weapons and stay hidden. Then, they should use a couple of quick Otome as decoys. The decoys draw fire while the hidden Otome and whatever military force they have rain down fury on the rebels," Natsuki explained.

Miss Maria nodded. "So, it basically renders their anti-Otome technology useless because they have no targets."

"Exactly. They've been fighting in Cardair long enough to know how the rebels fight, so they should be able to adjust the idea for whatever is going on there. I doubt the rebels would see it coming because the Otome have just been trying to overpower them with their Robes. It's time to stop doing that. Don't fight harder, fight smarter. For us, it's a bit more tricky," Natsuki admitted.

"You want to set up a battle to gain intelligence?" Mai guessed.

"Not want, I am. And, we're going to do that while my weapons gatherers are getting those weapons," Natsuki stated.

Nao arched an eyebrow. "You want set up a battle when you don't have any weapons to fight?"

Natsuki smiled. "Who said I didn't have any weapons? I'll be right back."

The Second Column left them all on the edge, she knew. The ten minutes that she would be gone would probably tear them up inside. She practically ran to her apartment, not expecting the sight that greeted her. Evidence of the attack had reached there with bullet holes peppering the walls. Bullets had gone through Shinobu's room, ripping her little bed and desk, which shredded Natsuki's insides.

"If Spooky had been here …" Natsuki growled. She was starting to understand why and how her spouse went to that dark place inside of her. If something happened to their daughter, Natsuki would have torn the world apart and bathed in the blood of her enemies. Hell, she still might if something happened to Shizuru.

Shaking that thought away, she went to the walk-in closet in their bedroom, which was also destroyed, and moved a false wall. There were two large black cases that she grabbed by the top handles. She carried the huge cases back to the infirmary, earning curious looks from almost everyone in the room. She put the cases on top of the desk that she had occupied.

"Damn, Natsuki, tell me that's not what I think it is," Nao said.

Natsuki only smiled as she typed in codes and the locks popped open. A hissing noise echoed through the room as the lids slid open. Those closest peered inside as soon as they could.

"Dammit, Natsuki, were you gonna shoot up the school?" Nao shouted as she got a good look at the small arsenal that Natsuki was packing.

"I'm from a country that's mostly forest and I have four older brothers. Hunting and shooting are practically in my DNA," Natsuki replied with a shrug.

"Damn," was all Nao could say while everyone else was speechless for a long minute.

"So, now what?" Mai inquired. "I mean, you've got the firepower and you want to set up the battle. How are you going to do that?"

"We arm those who can shoot and then we act like we're trying to fix up the school. I bet if they see we're not running and think we're trying to keep the school going, they'll attack again. It's risky, but you can't win the pot if you don't put in," Natsuki answered.

"What do we do if they actually overwhelm us?" Anh pointed out.

"They won't. They don't have the manpower because if they did, they'd have used it that first attack. We took out a lot of them in that attack, too," Natsuki reasoned.

"_You_ took out a lot of them, but I hope you have more to this plan than just the assumption they won't overwhelm us," Mahya commented.

"That does sound risky," Yohko agreed. "I'm not interested in having more patients in here."

"Well, there are my rifles and handguns. The few other Otome with projectile weapons. We'll have snipers and I believe Yohko has a few surprises for us," Natsuki said, pointing over at the Chief Medical Officer. All eyes went to the doctor.

Yohko sighed. "I've been working on a quick hologram program just to confuse any invaders. I can project images of any Otome, which would draw their fire and make it easier for you to defeat them. I've put together some defensive weapons, too, to fight back and made sure they can be activated from anywhere around here. But, you know none of those have been given the green light and the weapons are still being set up. I only started that after it looked like Windbloom was going to go the way that it did. This is still pretty dangerous."

"That it is, but life's dangerous," Natsuki said.

"And we can't just sit back and let some Reactionaries think they got the best of us," Shiho declared. "As Otome, we have to not only protect people, but also our reputations. We can't just accept a loss."

"What about our powers? Can we get our nanomachines back?" an injured Otome inquired. She had been hit with several anti-Otome bullets.

Yohko sighed and ducked her head briefly. "So far, I have no way to return your nanomachines. Whatever technology they're using remains in the blood and continues killing the nanomachines for days so far. This thing that they've developed, I don't think there's anything more effective in taking away an Otome's powers, even semen. I can't even imagine what else they might have." The mood of the room quickly fell.

Natsuki spoke up just as fast, "We know you're doing your best, sensei. Please, keep it up." The mention of the nanomachines made her wound throb. She honestly did not care about her lack of powers, but she knew that her cannon could have come in handy, but she did not dwell on that. She had her guns and she would do what she could.

"I will," Yohko replied.

"I was able to get touch with Laula," Miss Maria reported. "She was engaged in a battle that ended with them retreating after yet another Otome fell to the anti-Otome shot and was gutted in the middle of the street. Right in front of their eyes. She was shaken up a bit."

"Shit, what did she say?" Natsuki inquired.

"She liked your idea and thought it made a lot of sense to use regular weapons to fight the rebels, especially since the number of Otome with powers continues to drop. She's going to talk to the remaining Otome about putting your plan into effect. She felt it was a good idea not to mention you came up with this plan, especially since they have heard that you lost your position as principal," Miss Maria answered.

The pale woman nodded. "That makes sense. Well, now we have to figure out who is going to be part of this plan and who will do what." She began figuring it out in her head while everyone else who had a job went to get started on it.

-8-8-8-8-

Maximilian Straw was broadcasting again and Mashiro wanted to throw something before he even began speaking. She wished that she could counter his broadcast, but no one around her seemed to know how to use the equipment and no one seemed to know what happened to the people that did know how to use it. Mashiro felt like they were not telling the entire truth, but she was not sure which parts were the lies. It all made her head spin. She knew that she should be able to figure out what was going on, but it all seemed like so much.

"Good evening, citizens of the blossoming Democratic-Republic of Windbloom! The royalists have been trying their best to slow our movement, but we refuse to go down. The Queen is so resistant to any changes, any chances of the average person having any rights that she is willing to wage war in the city where you live and butcher you like lambs in her personal battle against you!" Maximilian proclaimed.

Mashiro was ready to explode about the lies he was spouting until images accompanied his words. There were flashes of a destroyed neighborhood and children's toy broken in the rubble. First came the body of a dog with a collar, clearly someone's pet. Next to the dog, though, was the body of a child, curled up in a fetal position. Mashiro vomited before she even realized that she was sick to her stomach and if that happened to her, she could only wonder how it affected the people.

She tore herself away from desk, refusing to hear or see anything else. She needed to talk to her military commanders. She found them in an office, talking and watching the broadcast.

"Turn that off!" the Queen ordered and the television screen went black. "How could you kill children?" she demanded.

"Ma'am, it's a battlefield," one of the four men answered.

"Not to mention, there's no way to prove we killed those people unless one of our rounds is pulled out of one of those bodies. For all we know, the rebels killed those people. Hell, I'm sure they did," another argued.

"Bodies?!" she shrieked, not even considering it was more than the one that she saw. "How many?"

"We didn't stop and count. Besides, they could've planted those bodies. Who's to say they didn't just kill those people and blame us to make up for the fact that we took out most of their forces?" the third man pointed out with a calm smirk.

Mashiro felt like the room was spinning. This was too much. She found that she actually did not believe her generals. These were men that she was supposed to trust with her life and she did not trust them to even report the truth of the matter to her. She was at a loss.

"Why don't you go on television and just blame them right back? They started it," the last man suggested.

The idea actually turned her stomach. She could not go on television and claim the rebels killed those people because she did not know if they did. In fact, she suspected her troops were the guilty party considering they were the ones that blew up several buildings in the hopes of wiping out the rebel forces. Topping it off, she was the one that brought the war to the streets. Her soldiers had engaged the rebels. To her, no matter what, she was the one responsible for those people dying. It was her fault.

"Aoi," Mashiro whispered and took off running. "Aoi! Aoi, where are you?"

While her heart raced, pace increasing every millisecond that passed, Mashiro feared that her maid had abandoned the bunker. Aoi could be out there in the war zone that was Windbloom, the war zone she created. Aoi could be dead, killed by the rebels, killed by her soldiers. Calling out for her loyal servant once more, she almost plowed the brunette woman over.

"Highness?" Aoi said while catching the Queen in her arms.

Mashiro did not speak, could not speak. Burying her head in Aoi 's chest, she wept, openly and loudly. Aoi gently pulled her into the empty room that the maid just exited. A television buzzed in the background, Maximilian Straw continued railing against her.

"Turn it off," Mashiro ordered, no begged in a mumble.

"I can't. I need to know what the rebels are doing and so do you," Aoi replied.

"I didn't mean for anyone to die."

"Well, that's naïve. You ordered for war and you got it. The rebels asked for pretty much the same thing. Unfortunately, people who were just living their lives got caught up in it."

"More people are going to die, aren't they?" the Queen asked in a small voice.

"They already are. Reports from news crews brave enough to stay here have shown footage of fighting near the Diamond District. People just outraged by everything started fighting with guards of a lord there. There are other places with fighting and a few nobles have already claimed the throne while disavowing the knowledge that you were … purchased from Artai."

Mashiro sniffled. "Is that true? Was I bought?"

Aoi sighed. "I was only a little girl when you arrived. I don't know. I believe you to be the queen."

"But, I don't look like the Royal Couple," Mashiro filled in the unsaid part.

Rather than verbally agree, Aoi shook her head. They had both seen more than enough pictures of the dearly departed king and queen to know that Mashiro looked nothing like the pair. She had none of their mannerisms according to people at court. She was nothing like them and even when she did her best to be a good ruler, she would hear whispers that Queen Sifr could do better on her worse day.

"I screwed up," Mashiro admitted in a quiet tone. She was happy that Aoi was forgiving and not spiteful enough to agree or say "I toldja so."

"Well, you could always try to fix it," Aoi pointed out.

"I want to, but I don't know how. I don't know how and I don't know what to do." Mashiro just curled in closer to Aoi and sniffled.

The brunette was silent. She merely stroked Mashiro's hair, offering her what comfort that she could. At least the Queen recognized her major mistake. Unfortunately, since there was no "undo" button, there might not be a way to correct the problem.

-8-8-8-8-

Nao was out in the city, hearing gunshots not too far from her. She was trying to find any her contacts, informants, or just plain friends, but it would seem that everyone had gone underground. Of course, that was probably the safest place to be when the city was at war with itself. She decided to check Reactionary hot spots, or at least they were hot spots before the city became a battlefield and the country began to devour itself. Everywhere was empty, looking like the rebels grabbed everything they could and took off.

She came to a cottage and found it just as ransacked as the other places. She careful searched the front room and then stopped as she heard moaning. Turning, she saw a door at the back that was blocked by a fallen shelf. She moved the shelf with no problem being one of the few Otome left with powers. The door was locked, but she easily kicked it in.

Dust flew up, blocking her view briefly, but she made out shapes. It seemed to be a storage room. As the cloud settled, she saw that one of the shapes was not an object, but the curled in form of a person. Upon closer inspection, it was not just any person.

"Arika!" Nao dropped to the younger woman's side.

The Royal Otome was clearly in bad shape. Her pallor was jaundiced and her lips cracked. Her cheeks were sunken and there were black circles under her eyes. She was sweating and appeared to be unconscious.

"Shit, what did they do to you?" Nao wondered aloud and used her GEM to contact Garderobe. "Hey, tell Natsuki I'm giving up my weapons search. I found something much more important."

"What's more important than sticking to the plan?" Chie inquired.

"You'll see when I get there." Nao disconnected the communication and turned her attention to the fallen Arika.

She carefully gathered the Windbloom Otome, snapping the chains that bound Arika to the house, and all Arika did was make noise. Despite the fact that she was sweating, Arika was cold, clammy, and Nao worried that she might not make the trip to Garderobe. She took a major risk and flew back to the school.

Dodging bullets all the way to Garderobe, Nao was surprised to make it back in one piece. She ran to the infirmary and practically shoved a group of students out of the way. Spotting Yohko at the far end of the room, she made a beeline to the doctor.

"Hey, doc, I got another patient for you," Nao reported in a rush.

Yohko spun around, obviously about to say something, but all words died in her throat as she laid eyes on Arika. Motioning for Nao to follow her, they had to put Arika on a pallet because all of the beds and cots were taken. Nao stood back and let the doctor work. She was not surprised when Natsuki came and stood next to her, nor was she surprised by the arm around her shoulder.

"The bastards left her chained to a wall to die," Nao hissed.

"Yohko-sensei will save her and we'll avenge her," Natsuki promised.

"How the hell do you claim to be for the people and then leave someone to die like that?" the redhead growled.

"Ideals that they obviously feel should be put on hold for this battle," Natsuki said. "So, let's go show them that they can't take shots at Otome and get away with it."

Nao nodded in complete agreement. She had some respect for the Reactionaries, but that was now gone. Now, they were just another enemy, an enemy to take down.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: another assault on Garderobe.


	15. Mind freak

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

A/N: this chapter contains torture and lots of violence.

15: Mind freak

The leader of the Mad Scientists, Doctor Emilian Tojo, stood in the shadows of the caverns, taking a phone call. He was speaking in a low tone with John Smith. He looked around every few seconds, making sure he was alone. The rebels all seemed to be into their own things, making battle plans or trying to decide about who would be what type of government would serve them best when the smoke all cleared.

"They're planning to attack Garderobe again," he reported to John Smith.

"Good. Make sure they succeed this time. We need those Otome out of the way, so we can get access to their technology. Have you properly armed them?" John Smith inquired.

"We're in the process of showing them how to use various weapons. We have more than enough, but they're slow to pick on everything. They'll be able to defeat the Otome this time around just from the fire power, provided they don't blow it."

"See to it that they don't. The Schwarz Organization isn't doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. They also have no interest in waiting around forever to get their hands on that technology. Don't disappoint them."

The scientist was about to respond, but Smith hung up. Doctor Tojo sighed and shook his head. He knew that John Smith was pressuring him because if things failed the Organization would take care of them all, Smith included. Dying for this cause, especially if it was a failure, did not sit well with him. He moved along to press the rebels into action. He approached Masujiro, Maximilian, and a few of the other "leaders."

"I don't mean to interrupt your meeting, but our weapons are ready when you are to fight the Otome and we've had some of your men practicing with them," Doctor Tojo informed the group with a slight bow.

"We'll be attacking soon. We just need a better idea of what we're up against and a good strategy," Masujiro replied, barely hiding a glare.

Doctor Tojo nodded and took his leave. He knew the rebel leaders did not trust him or his group, but the Reactionaries needed them. So, the rebels tried to be polite, but typically failed, like Masujiro. The Mad Scientists put up with it because they unfortunately needed the rebels just as much. It was not like they could attack Garderobe, but he could already see the flaw in John Smith's plan. Smith expected a group of ragtag peons to take down the most powerful warriors on Earl, which did not seem likely. Even with the element of surprise, the momentum in Cardair was turning away from the rebels and they had superior numbers compared to Windbloom.

"Well, I guess I have to do my best or Smith will kill me before the Organization kills him," Doctor Tojo muttered. He was confident in the weapons, but decided to train the rebels even harder with them as he had no desire to die.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru sat calmly, rubbing her fingers together for lack of a better thing to do. She was waiting to be "interrogated" by the rebels. While waiting, she checked on the other Otome that were captured with her. One, a girl by the name of Tessa, was seriously wounded and on the verge of bleeding out, but no amount of pleading gained her or any other Otome medical attention. She even tried to telling any rebel that passed everything that she knew about Tessa, trying to get them to make a connection with her, but to no avail. Shizuru was loath to admit that the poor woman would die right in front of them within the next hour.

On a positive note, they found Sara Gallagher. She was being held prisoner with them. She had been tortured but Shizuru was not sure who had done it. She guessed that Sara was starved because she was beyond thin and her pallor was jaundiced. Nearly black circles went around her sunken eyes. The sight alone was enough to break Shizuru's heart.

Sara had not been very articulate about what happened to her, preferring to just curl up against Shizuru the moment that she recognized the upperclassman. Shizuru had caressed her head briefly until Sara drifted off to sleep. Shizuru was not sure how much time had passed since then, but she suspected a couple of hours.

"Shizuru-san, is Natsuki-san gonna save us?" Sara asked in a small, scratchy voice.

"Of course, she will," Shizuru answered with complete and total confidence. She was certain that Natsuki would come for them as soon as possible. She just hoped it happened before someone else in their little cell was given a death sentence.

An Otome scoffed. "That lying coward is probably hiding under her desk."

"You may doubt my Natsuki all you want, but she'll come through. That's the kind person she is and who she always will be."

"You're kidding yourself, Shizuru-onee-sama. Natsuki let us all down."

Shizuru took a calming breath. "You will refer to my Natsuki respectfully. If anything, you all let Natsuki down. You charged out into a dangerous situation with no information on what the situation was beyond there being shots fired, thinking that you could just plow your way through things. No one awaited orders or even paused to assess the situation beyond my beloved, only for everyone to call her a liar, coward, and traitor. If not for that liar, coward, and traitor, you'd all be dead by now along with dozens of other idiots that think they know better. Natsuki got her job for a reason, but you all seem to be forgetful of that fact."

"If she was so good at her job, she'd have stopped the people that made those weapons before they got into the hands of rebels and kept all of this from happening."

Shizuru scoffed. "And how would you have expected her to do that? You want her to see into the future? To be in two places at once? To make people happier with their circumstances to keep them from thinking of revolution in the first place? She did what she could. Don't pass judgment on Natsuki until you know all of the facts."

There were some teeth sucked, but no further arguing occurred because the rebels approached their cell. They hurled insults at the Otome and spat at them. The vitriol was almost venomous, as if it would manage to destroy them. Shizuru shielded Sara while curling her lip in disgust. She could not believe these same people shared general beliefs with her beloved or that such misfits followed the rather elegant and sophisticated Maximilian Straw.

"Hey, how about we get some help in here instead of you people acting like animals? You're just going to let this woman die?" an Otome called. They soon found out that the answer was "yes," just as Shizuru suspected.

When Tessa died, she was not even moved. Her body was left there and her sisters-in-arms were left to cover her. They swatted away rodents that were of the mind that the body was dinner. If something did not give, Shizuru hated that they might even lose the battle to the rats.

They were not visited beyond being taunted until Masujiro stepped up to their cage. He surveyed them as if they were livestock to be brought. Shizuru moved slightly, wanting to block Sara because there was no way that the blond would survive more "interrogating" even if Masujiro had not been the one to torment her before. As his gaze wandered to other injured parties, Shizuru frowned.

"Coming to admire your handiwork where you let a nineteen-year-old drown in her own blood?" the Graceful Amethyst practically spat, purposely drawing attention to herself.

"You know what, you'll do just fine, especially since you're high-ranking, both as an Otome and a noble," Danton decided, smiling while pointing at Shizuru. "You should have plenty of information to assist in our endeavors."

Crimson eyes practically dared him to do his worse. The net keeping the Otome in their alcove was turned off and a pair of guards with guns marched into the cell. Shizuru rose on her own, but one of the guards grabbed her by the arm anyway. She winced, but managed to back all of the agony that was coursing through her. It took all of her willpower not to yank his weapon from him and beat him to death with it. When he squeezed, she almost snapped, but maintained her composure.

"Come on," the guard growled.

Shizuru chuckled, feeling like some of the rebels were getting way too much pleasure from having prisoners. They had clearly lost sight of their cause and were now coming close to being nothing more than animals. She allowed them to lead her roughly to another dark alcove. She was chained to the cold rock wall at the back. She hissed as they pushed her against the wall, banging her wounded side against the rocks. She had put a crude bandage around the hole in her side, using her dress as a wrap, but it still hurt like Hell.

"Now, you don't have your powers, but you do have information and that's what I'm interested in," Masujiro said calmly. It sounded as if he had done this sort before or had properly mentally prepared himself for it.

"My powers and knowledge are a non-issue for you," Shizuru practically scolded him in a light tone.

The rebel leader frowned. "We'll see how smug you are after a couple of hours in here."

"I'll give nothing up. Not information, not my morals or principles, and not my soul."

"My soul is a small price to pay for a free Windbloom," Masujiro stated.

"Your soul must be worthless then. If the price you all wish to pay is your souls and people's blood, then you've devalued your cause."

"My cause is worth that price."

She arched an eyebrow. "It's worth the lives of people that you wish to free? So, when the smoke clears, if all are dead, then was it worth it?"

Masujiro chuckled before getting in her face and growling. "You think you can play mind games with me?"

Shizuru smiled. "The game has already begun." It had begun the minute that they had taken her and she liked to think that she was in the lead already.

The hard scowl that settled on his face could have probably crumbled mountains, but she remained unmoved. She had her in already and she just had to poke at the hole. She hoped that it had some effect because that was really all she could do now.

"You're right about that. The game has begun," he stated as he walked over to a tray. He picked up a pair of pliers and brought them to her for her to get a good look at the instrument.

"You're starting high. Most would use a hammer first, break my toes," she pointed out calmly. She had been tortured once when she was younger and a little more careless, so she had an intimate knowledge of it. He would show her everything before using the tools to let her imagination run wild. She had a rather dark imagination, so he was actually doing her a favor because unless he really had lost his soul, he never would be able to match what happened in her head.

"My interrogation, so I do it my way. Now, tell us about the layout of Garderobe," he ordered.

Shizuru thought on it momentarily. "In exchange for the layout of your camp, I will give you the layout of Garderobe," she offered with a smile that vanished as he applied the pliers.

"This is only going to get worse," he promised as she struggled not to scream.

-8-8-8-8-

"How's Arika doing?" Natsuki asked Yohko as she approached the pallet that the Windbloom Otome was resting on. Arika was still unconscious, but she had been treated and she had an IV to feed her vital nutrients.

"She's stable now," Yohko answered. "I might be able to move her to a bed. Unfortunately, it doesn't look good for Naya. She probably won't live through the night."

Natsuki nodded and frowned distastefully. "She's barely twenty years old. She deserved better. She was only here to help us find Sara."

"It's not your fault."

"Then who's fucking fault is it? I'm in charge. I should've been better prepared. I should've made them better prepared."

Yohko arched an eyebrow. "So, you saw the revolutions coming and combining with the anti-Otome sentiment along with weapons that would be able to tear through the most power soldiers on the planet?"

"Of course not," Natsuki grunted.

"Then you can't blame yourself. Now, you didn't start any of this nonsense, but you have a way to end it, so get to it. Arika will be fine. As will most of the others."

Natsuki nodded, but she was still tense. Otome had died under her watch, in her school. Possibly the most challenging thing the Otome had face was at their door and she had failed to keep it at bay. Worst of all, she had lost her wife in the chaos. But, she would be redeemed, starting now.

"Let's get started," Natsuki announced, stepping over to her waiting Otome.

She had the remaining able-bodied Otome ready to feign repairing the school. Several brave students insisted on helping. Natsuki had caved under the condition that they all stay close to the older Otome and run for cover as soon as the fighting began. She had armed as many as she could, which under different circumstances might have been frightening because she singlehandedly armed almost twenty Otome, keeping a rifle for herself.

"Seriously, were you going to shoot up the school?" Nao asked as she loaded her handgun.

"Why do you know how to load a gun?" Natsuki countered. The redhead only offered her a smile. She turned her attention to the waiting group. "All right, ladies, this is a dangerous mission, but it will bring us one step closer to stopping the men who dared to invade our home and slaughter our sisters. Be careful while we're out there. We can't afford to lose anyone else, not when we need to go into out there and fully end this madness."

There were cheers and the Otome marched outside for phase one of Natsuki's plan. They brought out all of the material that they would need to repair the school. It was discouraging that they would not actually be doing that. It would also test their patience. They had to keep up the pretense until the enemy showed up.

"Do you think someone's watching us?" Mahya asked whoever would answer.

"It would be smart if they really want to take us on," Chie replied.

"They'd want to make sure we're hurting from their previous attack and not bouncing back. They'll want to know our weaknesses and the easiest area to attack. They're also be incensed to see us out here actually trying to go on," Natsuki added. She was parked out of sight on the roof, scanning the area through the scope of her rifle. She was looking for the first sign of their enemies. She could hear the conversation from everyone because they had changed to an earwig system since many of them lost their powers.

"That's why you want to leave the damage to the left fence, but make it look like we're trying to fix it?" Shiho asked.

"That's the side we want them to use, so they need to think it's still vulnerable, but we don't want to be too obvious about it," Natsuki answered.

They had gone over that when Natsuki mapped out the whole plan, but she suspected nerves had them asking questions. The idea of losing their Otome powers or dying was enough to have any of them questioning everything, including if they were doing the right by listening to a principal that they all heard get fired. She doubted it helped that they were out there for two hours and nothing happened beyond then all sweating bullets in anticipation.

-8-8-8-8-

"Ready to tell us what sort of internal defenses Garderobe has?" Masujiro inquired with a smile, but it was a tired expression. It was a bit amusing that he was the one wearing down.

Shizuru forced out a chuckle, certain that she was his first "interrogation." She was bleeding far too much for him to have done it before. Her body was shaking and she was sure that she was going to pass out soon, but she had not given up any information worth anything. Of course, he had not brought some of her misdirects either. On the bright side, he had brought some of them. She just hoped that it helped whatever Natsuki had planned.

"Internal defenses?" she echoed as if she had no idea what he meant.

He growled and approached her with some new menacing tool in hand. He did not make it to her as someone came up behind, whispering in his ear. She watched as his eyes widened and his mouth set into a sneer.

"Do they really think they can just act like everything is normal and they don't have to worry about us?" the rebel leader growled while glaring at Shizuru, so she guessed that whatever the news had to do with the Otome.

She knew that Natsuki had something working. She just hoped it was as big as she knew her wife could do things. She hoped that Natsuki showed them just what the Otome were made of. Her mouth twitched into an amused smile, which Masujiro immediately noticed. He growled and slapped her across the face, knocking blood from her mouth.

"Stop smiling. We're going to destroy you bitches right now!" Masujiro proclaimed before turning to gather his troops.

Shizuru decided to take one last dig at him. "Good luck considering you're the only bitch I know."

He halted and glared at her. "You're not even worth the time right now, but when I get back, we'll continue this dance and then I'll start on those other bitches in the cage. I'm sure I'll get something out of them, either information or something more considering they're probably all nobles."

"Yes, please hurry back from your slaughter of adolescent girls in your quest to grant freedom and equality to all even if you have to kill them to do it. Oh, and do remember to avoid the front gate. Dangerous grounds there."

The glare lasted a few moments longer before Masujiro left with his men. Shizuru was left hanging on the wall, blood dripping to cold, stone floor. _Please, Natsuki don't let these monsters get away with this. They've taken enough lives as it is_.

-8-8-8-8-

"Natsuki-san, this isn't working. We've been out here for hours," an Otome pointed out. They had been out there for four hours to be exact. Everyone was on edge and anxious about just about everything.

Natsuki was going to call it a day once the sun went down, but things did not come to that. In her scope, she could see movement coming toward them. For a moment, she considered it could be refugees. People had been wandering close to the school only to turn around when they got close enough to see the damage. From news reports, it was assumed most of the Otome were dead. _We don't die that easily_.

She dismissed the notion that it was refugees coming because of the movement. What she saw was a group trying to mimic careful military movement, but was not doing a good job. Scanning the rest of the area through her scope, she saw more coming.

"We've got movement. I repeat, we've got movement. There's a group coming in by the front gate and a larger group approaching from the east. They're going to try to exploit that hole. All students slowly and calmly begin to make your way into the building. Yohko get holograms ready," Natsuki commanded.

She was proud that no one panicked, especially the students. Everyone quietly got into position, waiting for their enemies to get close enough. Yohko started up the holograms, making it look like they had far more Otome than they did and giving the enemy false targets to shoot at in the open. Natsuki kept them informed of how close the enemy was and the position of each opposing squad was. She took a deep breath, waiting for the perfect shot on anyone that looked important because she knew that it would be difficult for the soldiers to act without a leader. Unfortunately, all of the damn rebels dressed alike, in the sense that no one was dressed similar; they all had on everyday, working clothes. Once the enemy was within range for them to fire on the Otome, Natsuki took a shot at whatever man she could hit as a signal for the battle to begin. The guy was lucky; she had not killed him, but she had blown his leg away.

As soon as the rifle shot sounded through the air, the Otome opened fire. The rebels that were coming in from the east ducked behind what appeared to be solid materials that should have been used to repair the gate, but was really nothing more than a hologram. The Otome fired in that direction, bullets and energy beams flying.

"Take cover!" the rebels screamed to each other.

Natsuki watched as the rebels showed their weakness like the soft underbelly of a hedgehog by panicking as soon as they came under heavy fire. They scattered and she began picking them left with her rifle. They tried to counter by throwing what appeared to be grenades, but all of them went into spaces occupied by holograms. Gas came from the explosions, but was actually blown away by the wind. It did not seem to affect any of the Otome nearby. After several shots, she checked on the group coming through the front gate. They were under more control, staying together and finding cover. They were saving any grenades if they had them.

"Watch out for the rebels by the gate. They're hiding behind the gate pieces and shrubs. They're a little braver and smarter than the others. Watch for grenades or any new weapons beyond the guns," Natsuki reported as she took aim at the men to the front.

"We've got cover and we've seen some of the new weapons. We're taking the appropriate precautions," Miss Maria assured her through the earwig.

"Keep it, but let up a little bit. We only have a little ammo. Draw them in a little more," the Second Column ordered everyone.

The fire let up from the Otome end, but did not stop completely. The rebels began to move and Natsuki picked off the ones that she could, especially if she noticed them holding different types of grenades. As soon as the rebels were far from cover, Natsuki ordered the Otome to open fire and fall back some because the rebels were getting too close to for her comfort.

"Shit, we're getting overwhelmed at the corner!" Nao reported.

"The other corner, too," Anh chimed in.

"Just keep falling back!" Natsuki replied, popping off as many shots as she could. She grunted each time the rifle kicked against her shoulder, but she hardly missed a target, no matter how much they moved. "Once you get behind the gun line, Yohko-sensei will activate the guns. Speaking of Yohko-sensei, Yohko?"

"You called?" the doctor replied.

"Put some holograms in the trouble spots, draw their fire there!" The holograms that were up were doing a great job, but they definitely needed more now.

"I'm already on it. They take a moment to look life-like and I don't want to project them until they're prefect so they will fool rebels," Yohko explained. "Just so you know, you're doing a good job."

"Yeah, but those clips won't last forever," Natsuki said.

No one responded to that, focusing on returning fire to the advancing rebels. Yohko came through with more holograms, which drew the attention of some of the rebels and allowed the pinned Otome a chance to retreat. Natsuki picked even more of them off as they fired at the holograms.

"We're falling at the gate," Miss Maria stated.

"Us, too," Chie chimed in.

"We're holding, but we won't be able to for long," Mai reported.

"Get moving. Yohko, get ready to cover them," the pale woman said.

"I'm just waiting for the signal," Yohko answered.

"Good. You guys know what to do," Natsuki stated. They had gone over things enough that everyone knew what their role was.

The Otome all began falling back as their guns and few spare clips began to empty. Those that still had their powers and projectiles continued firing while retreating into the infirmary building. The rebels followed and Natsuki began packing up as she heard and saw the school's defenses coming out. Multiple guns fired rounds at invaders along with motion sensing energy weapons. Natsuki did not go inside until she was certain that the enemy was going to retreat.

"How we doing?" the Second Column demanded as soon as she entered the infirmary.

"They're in full retreat," Yohko answered.

"And us?" Natsuki asked, surveying the Otome.

"No deaths and mostly minor injuries. Two serious wounded," Miss Maria reported.

"But, they're stable," Yohko added.

Natsuki nodded and her eyes strayed to the monitors. She noticed something useful immediately. "Change of plans. Anybody with the stomach for it, let's go check those bodies for anyone still alive," she ordered, pointing to the screen showing their quad was littered with fallen rebels.

"You want to gather information from them," Anh guessed.

"It's the best chance we have at bringing the fight to the rebels and ending this madness. We're the only group looking to take them out and not reign supreme over Windbloom while we're at it," Natsuki pointed out.

"Those guys really created a power vacuum with the idea that Mashiro isn't the real queen," Nao sighed.

"It was by design. They probably got tons of followers and riled the people up against the Queen and the nobility," Mahya pointed out.

"Yeah, except they also have the nobility trying to take the throne now," Mai countered.

"I doubt they saw that one coming," Nao remarked.

"Let's ponder their master plan later. Get going," Natsuki ordered anyone willing to vender outside while the ground was still smoking from automatic gunfire.

Only a couple of dozen Otome went outside; students were forbidden. They kept a sharp eye out for any rebels that might have wandered back to try to take another shot at them. They also had to be careful of rebels pretending to be more hurt than they were. A gunshot popping off caused many to jump and they turned to see Natsuki with a smoking pistol at her side as a rebel dropped to the dirt, his rifle falling beside him. Natsuki did not even flinch as she put another round in his chest.

"Be careful, some of them can still hold their weapons, even if they're hurt," Natsuki cautioned them.

The Otome were now extra mindful of their enemies. They managed to drag in over thirty rebels in several trips. The rebels were taken to a separate building and Yohko was called to tend to them as best she could since she was low on supplies. Natsuki paced in front of the rebels, trying to find the one she wanted. When she came to the young man sitting in a puddle, she knew that she had her man.

"Miss Maria, Haruka, and Anh-sama, let's talk to this one in that office," Natsuki suggested, pointing to the trembling man and then to the door at the far end of the room.

Anh lit up. "Ara, ara, I was hoping you'd pick him! He's so adorable and I bet he's screamer," she teased, sounding quite happy. The mind games had only just begun.

"No, please!" he begged as Natsuki grabbed him, but Haruka was the one to haul him up. "Mahya, you watch the rest of them. Everyone else is free to leave. Mai, keep me informed on our casualties please."

"Of course," Mai answered.

The room cleared of Otome, except for Mahya and Chie. Haruka tossed the rebel into the small office and Miss Maria slammed the door shut. The rest of the rebels would be left to wonder what was happening. They would expect screams, but the silence that Natsuki planned would drive them crazy. Someone would talk.

-8-8-8-8-

Masujiro returned to base and marched right back to Shizuru. She smiled at him, mocking his frown. He wasted no time punching her right in the face, easily breaking her nose with a nauseating crunch. Fresh blood poured out of her nose, mixing with dried, crusted blood on her chin and cheek.

"You will tell us all of Garderobe's defenses right now!" he roared.

Shizuru forced out a laugh. "Did you avoid the front gate as I told you?" She could imagine her beloved handed him a mighty defeat because he was seeing red to the point that his muddy cheeks were flushed.

Snarling, he ripped himself away from the situation. When he returned, he had another prisoner with him. He pulled an Otome by her hair and forced her to kneel right in front of Shizuru. He then put a gun to the trembling young woman's head.

"I imagine that you feel a lot of responsibility for these girls since you're a school employee. Well, you tell me what I want to know or I put her brains on your face and I'll do that with each one or those little bitches until you tell me what I want to know, wench!" he bellowed.

Shizuru could tell he was serious; he had the crazed killer look in his eyes. The threatened Otome shivered more, but looked into Shizuru's eyes with a stubborn and steely gaze. Shizuru smiled at her, proud that she was ready to die rather than betray the Otome.

"I'll tell you everything if you lower your weapon," Shizuru vowed, lying through her teeth and she would continue to do since he took the gun away. _Natsuki, please have something worked out because I don't know long I'll be able to stall_.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the Otome go on the offensive as another faction throws their hat into the war.


	16. Operational exhaustion

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

16: Operational exhaustion

Mashiro locked herself in her office with Aoi. She had been in there all day, turning away anyone that knocked. She had her head down with her hands in her lap. Reports had poured in about nobles fighting against the rebels and each other, each claiming the throne for some reason or another. The message was clear, though; no one respected Mashiro's claim to the throne anymore. Mashiro wanted to ignore it, but asked Aoi to keep track before she decided to never open the bunker door again.

"Aoi, how do we get out of this mess?" the Queen asked in a small tone.

"I don't know," the maid loathed to admit.

"There's so much, right?" It felt like it was all bearing down on her, crushing her, and she knew it was her own damned fault.

Aoi nodded. "It is a lot, but you need to know it's not all your fault. The economy couldn't be fixed in a day, no matter how much people wish that was the case. You could've been more respectful to the Reactionaries, but they could've done the same because respect is a two-way thing. Maximilian Straw shouldn't have tried to blackmail you to get things to go his way. That wasn't right."

"But, I should've listened more."

"Now's not the time to blame yourself. You have to think of a way to stop this fighting and get Arika back."

Mashiro nodded and was quiet for a long moment. "What if I just give up and give into his demands?"

The way that Aoi gasped it was like Mashiro had offered to publicly hang herself. Mashiro smiled a bit, happy to have her servant back on her side. Aoi moved closer, sitting down and reaching over the desk to take the Queen's hand. Mashiro smiled at the contact, even though it was inappropriate. Hell, she probably would have said as much not too long ago, but she really truly enjoyed the simple touch. It helped her feel a little less alone in the world.

"While that's noble of you, I don't think that'll solve the problem. The nobles will keep fighting for the throne and the rebels will keep fighting to get rid of the monarchy, maybe even the whole establishment. The country will remain at war. So, no, I don't think you should give into their demands."

"But, I don't know what else to do. I don't want to send the few military troops that I do have to out there and kill people. Why do you think they even remained with me? Just so they can kill people?"

"I don't know, but it is possible. Of course, they could've joined the rebels to do that. I'm sure they do have an agenda. Everyone seems to have one at this point," Aoi sighed.

"Yeah, they do. Maybe they sided with me just to advance their rank. I would feel pretty obligated to them to do so if I did defeat the rebels. It would be because of them, after all, so I should reward them and that is probably what they wanted," Mashiro reasoned.

"Or they could just be loyal to you. Some of us see the good in you," the maid said with a smile.

"But …"Mashiro pouted. "… even you yelled at me."

"Sometimes, you frustrate me, but that doesn't mean I don't see good in you or don't believe in you or don't love you. I do, but every now and then you drive me crazy," Aoi explained.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I get like this. Sometimes I just feel like … I don't know … like I shouldn't be questioned because I'm queen and if I am questioned, I feel like someone's saying I'm not queen. And, if I'm not queen, what am I?"

"You're insecure because you're young and you want to be sure you're doing the right thing."

Mashiro shook her head. "I've heard whispers over the years that I wasn't the real queen and I always think about that whenever someone disagrees, even you. Do you think I'm the real queen?" Her eyes were full of hope.

Aoi smiled and patted the small hand in her own. "I know you're my queen and you're our only queen. Besides, they gave you the crown already. Can't take it back now," she joked, getting a laugh out of the Queen.

"They did," Mashiro giggled. Of course, she was sure that they could take it back. Either by means of war like now or by some other method. She was not ready to give it up, though. Because, if she was not Queen, then who was she?

"Highness, you must have faith that things will all work out accordingly," Aoi said, giving Mashiro's hand a squeeze. The Queen nodded and returned the slight clasp.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki sat at "her" desk with a pen and paper in front of her. The headmistress' office had been destroyed in one of the attacks, but she wanted to be close to the action anyway. They were holding prisoners in one of the remaining dorms and there were a few offices in the building as well. She jotted down notes in the margin occasionally. Miss Maria tossed out the last rebel that they had captured. Natsuki studied her notes.

"That's all of them," Miss Maria reported.

"That was easier than expected," Mahya commented as she flipped through her own notes.

"Some," Anh corrected her.

"A few of them had guts," Haruka admitted.

"Those were true soldiers. The ones that were easy were just people pissed at the Queen, or at the Otome, fed up in general, or looking to cause trouble," Natsuki pointed out.

"I can't believe so many people have problems with the Otome now. Just last year I was sure we were the people's heroes," Miss Maria sighed.

"Just six months ago for me," Mahya lamented.

Haruka scoffed. "I'm still a hero," she muttered. Aries was not in the same political turmoil as other nations, after all.

"Times can change quickly. We need to be able to adjust and change," Anh said.

"Let's examine that after we show these rebel bastards that it's a mistake to attack us and not kill us all in one go," Natsuki remarked as she rose from her seat. They all nodded to that one.

The group went back to the infirmary. They set up in an office of sorts in the corner of the large room. No one bothered them as they spread out several papers over a desk. Some of them helped show where the Reactionaries were hiding, but they were crude and some even childlike. They all studied the papers silently for a moment before Anh realized something.

"I know these tunnels," the princess said.

"You do?" Haruka asked in disbelief.

Natsuki eyes narrowed. "You better not know them because of Shizuru."

Anh smiled coyly and then chuckled. "Of course, but not for the reasons you're thinking. She was just showing me interesting places around the city that she discovered as a precocious coral student. Sometimes, we'd go there just to get away from the crowds."

Haruka frowned. "You never took me."

Anh giggled and patted the Aries' Otome on the head. "We only went when you had gone back to Aries or otherwise occupied here."

"Back to you knowing the caves," Natsuki said since that was the relevant thing. She would worry about what her wife and the flirtatious princess did in them later.

"Well, yes, I can definitely enhance these crude sketches and give us a much better idea of where everything is," Anh offered, gathering up the papers and moving over to a free computer.

"Okay, well, we've got that, but what else are we going to do?" Shiho inquired.

"How are the weapons coming along?" Natsuki asked Haruka.

"They'll be here in a day or two, no later. They want to make sure they avoid being seen. It's one thing to have me and Chie here, but it's another thing for someone to report that Aries is arming the Otome. Or worse, for someone to report that Aries is arming someone in Windbloom, be it the rebels or the Queen," she answered.

Natsuki nodded. "True enough. As long as they come through, they can do whatever they want as far as public relations go. They'll be enough for everyone fighting?"

"More than enough. Now, how are we carrying this operation out?" the blond countered.

"I feel like small teams at each cave opening might be the way to go. If we've got some smoke bombs, we can cause some confusion," Natsuki answered, picking up a paper and examining it.

"Do we have enough people for that?" Chie inquired, sounding skeptical that they did.

"In theory, we do, especially considering who we have with us, but we're cutting it really thin if we do go that way," Natsuki said before glancing around at those that were with her. "I get the feeling we don't want to go that way."

"We'd rather not worry about everybody getting killed," Mahya pointed out.

"What if we set fire to certain exits? Corral them to where we want them to go?" Chie asked.

"That could cause a mass panic and get a lot of people injured," Miss Maria argued.

"Unlike our standing at the entrances and mowing them down as they come?" Natsuki said, which had been part of her plan. Everyone looked at her in disbelief.

"I'm learning way too much about your dark side right now. Where is this coming from?" Mahya inquired.

"Really? The fact that my authority has been stripped, respect for me is at an all time low, I've had to send my daughter away, I got fired, I got shot, I lost my powers, and my wife is in the hands of the enemy. Shit, if I were Shizuru, I'd have fucking blown Windbloom up by now to get her back and wouldn't give two shits about it," Natsuki answered.

"Thankfully, you have more control and you'll think of a plan to get her back rather than going out of your mind with worry, grief, and guilt," Anh pointed out from her perch. "Hopefully, you'll also think of a plan that doesn't involve us killing dozens, maybe even hundreds, of people."

The pale woman nodded. "Look, we have the field advantage, but we have to figure out how to use it to our advantage. We have to decide how far we're willing to take this."

"Can we not kill innocent people if it could be helped?" Chie stated, getting nods from everyone else.

"I get what you mean," Natsuki sighed. "I just want Shizuru back. But, I don't think we should assume the people not wielding guns are innocent. They're supporting and helping the guys with guns. I don't want to kill them, but they might have to get injured because we don't know who's who. It's not like rebel troops wear uniforms."

"Do we have to attack the rebels in their base?" Shiho asked.

Natsuki arched an eyebrow, but she did not say anything. She flipped through the papers and then looked at battle footage on a nearby computer monitor. She then glanced at Shiho.

"What if we attack the base when the rebels aren't there?" the Second Column proposed.

"Wouldn't that defeat the propose?" Chie asked.

"No, she wants to occupy the base and ambush the rebels upon their return. But, we would need a battle to happen to get the rebels that we want to get," Miss Maria answered.

"A battle won't be long if the way the nobles are playing things out shows anything. They've turned the entire country into several war zones and have been battling it out since the little announcement that Mashiro isn't queen. They've been out conquering each other's counties and territories. We just have to wait for one of those groups to get to close to the rebels," Natsuki said.

"Well, we need a better plan than that. We do have over a hundred Otome still willing and able to fight with us. You can't march a hundred Otome on 'we just have to wait' and we're going to attack the rebel base with no plan for that attack," Mahya pointed out.

"And they are waiting for orders, Natsuki. Your orders," Mai chimed in. She had spent the most time around the other Otome, checking on the wounded and the students, keeping order for her best friend. Mikoto remained by her side, quiet in ways that Natsuki had not thought possible, but Mikoto did not seem to understand what was going on. She was just there because Mai was and fighting because Mai was.

"We have time to plan the attack. We also need to keep a look out for signs of a battle in the city. Yohko!" Natsuki called.

The poor doctor was being run ragged and it was becoming more and more obvious. Deep lines and dark bags under her eyes marred her features and her coloring was beginning to match Natsuki's pallor. Her hair was going in every direction allowed and it looked like she might pass out. She had not slept more than a couple of hours in several days.

"You bellowed?" Yohko said.

"You need sleep," Natsuki pointed out.

"You need to not state the obvious. No one here is winning a beauty contest right now," the doctor remarked.

"Speak for yourself," Anh hummed, giving a shadow of one of her dazzling smiles. She got a few chuckles from that.

Natsuki shook her head and the focused on Yohko. "Can we get images of the city to see when a battle happens to aid our battle plans?"

Yohko gave a tired nod. "I can do that. I can program the system to pick up gunshots, too, if you want, but you'll have to get someone else to monitor it. I have patients to tend to."

"I understand, sensei. Do what you can. Mahya, can you monitor that situation?" Natsuki requested.

"I'm on it!" the Fifth Column chirped, going off with Yohko.

"We still need a plan," Chie stated.

"We know," Natsuki sighed. She was not entirely sure what they would do, though. They had a vague idea of numbers, weapons, and the base layout, all things Natsuki would kill for in battle planning. She just could not figure out how to use those things.

"Let's just take the direct approach if we're going to go in while the warriors are out. We round up the non-combatants first," Chie said.

Natsuki shook her head. "That still leaves us with hundreds of people to get out of the way for the fight and have to keep them subdued. Plus, we have to make sure they don't get injured when the fighting starts."

Chie huffed, puffing out her cheeks. Natsuki wanted to do the same because it was so much, but she knew that if she looked at it long enough, she would figure out what needed to be done. She _had_ to because she had to get Shizuru back.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru had only just regained consciousness after a long session with her dear host Masujiro Danton. He was not getting much better at the torture thing, but he was getting used to being brutal. She was still feeling his comfort, but also his desperation. He had brought almost every lie that flowed from her lips, thinking that he had broken her. If he tried to attack the school a third time, her wife would have an easy time catching him and his merry band of sociopaths.

Taking steady, deep breaths, she struggled to lift her head. Her vision was hazy for a while, blocked by blood, sweat, and her own filthy hair. Blinking several times cleared her line of sight as best she could. She scanned the caves; caves that she knew so well. If it were not for the damned anti-Otome bonds and the fact that she had lost her powers days ago, she would have made her escape with no problem. Instead, she was nothing more than a bruised prisoner, but she was not beaten. None of them were beaten.

She could not help wondering if Natsuki had felt this way when Tomoe kidnapped her. Things appeared dark and bleak, but she was certain that they would somehow come out on top. She had faith that Natsuki would find her, Natsuki would free her, and that they would stop the rebels. She just had some trouble imagining how it would happen, but it _would_ happen. They would then go on living their lives and they would get to things that they had been putting off.

"Natsuki …" Shizuru whispered.

She tried not to dwell on thoughts of her beloved because she worried about how Natsuki was handling things. While her spouse was hardly alone, not too many were on her side when they had rushed out to rescue the Otome that had lost all respect for Natsuki. They did not understand the principal at all. Shizuru felt sorry for them.

The Otome program did not know what they were throwing away by shunning Natsuki, but it was all right. Now, she and Shinobu would be able to have Natsuki to themselves … for a time. She knew that there was no way that Natsuki would be able to sit still for long. She wondered what their future held.

"I need to see that future, so I need to make it through this," Shizuru told herself in a low voice. Saying it aloud for her made it seem that much more real and doable.

She took more calming breaths, just to keep herself together. Her thoughts strayed to Shinobu, thinking of her enjoying her visit to Saxas. Shinobu loved the small country and its many forests. It was there that Shizuru was always certain that Shinobu would take after Natsuki because she loved exploring, going off into the woods, and getting dirty, but only when they were in Saxas. Of course, she explored anywhere, but she would never think to get covered in muck while in Windbloom or Garderobe.

Something about Saxas freed their daughter, but it freed Natsuki, too, even though she pretended it did not. Shizuru accepted what the open air and greenery did to her two favorite females. She would love nothing more than to watch Natsuki and Shinobu running through the woods if she could.

She allowed pictures of Shinobu growing up dance through her mind as she waited for some form of strength to return to her. She was not sure what she was going to do when lifting her head did not feel like a chore, but she would feel better if she could do something beyond imagine when things would be better.

Those thoughts vanished as her eyes caught sight of Masujiro rushing back and forth from some area in the distance. She was certain that was where the scientists were with their anti-Otome weapons. She was not sure why he was pacing around the place like a lunatic, though. Weapons should have been the least of their worries, but whatever made his life hard was good for her.

-8-8-8-8-

Masujiro fumed as he moved from crate to crate, wanting something to ensure that he would not walk away from Garderobe a defeated man three times in a row. The scientists watched him move, trying to explain to him everything that he looked through, but he was not listening to them. He just needed something that looked menacing.

"I need something that'll make those bitches shit themselves when they see it," he growled.

"Traveling with something too big would have slowed us down, so I'm not sure if we'll have something that meets your specifications," a scientist said as he moved to catch a few things that Masujiro knocked around.

"I need something to defeat those bitches!" Danton roared.

"We've given you our best weapons. It's up to you and your men to use them," Doctor Tojo pointed out.

"We use them and they didn't help us! What the hell are they using in Cardair to be able to kill fucking Otome while we can't even get in the front door!" Masujiro screamed.

"You've killed more in that invasion than they have in Cardair," the scientist pointed out. Of course, in Cardair things were much more sensationalized because they were decapitating Otome and the nobility and putting them on display while Windbloom had descended into a mini-civil war that was getting bigger and worse by the hour. Cardair was about revolution while Windbloom was in fighting between factions that just wanted the throne as far as the world was concerned.

That news seemed to slow Masujiro down. "We have, haven't we?" He smiled proudly. "We'll take those bitches out and then start an equal and just society, no more of this noble bullshit or the Privileged having personal one-man armies at their disposal and trying to put themselves on the throne. There will be no throne when we're done. So, what do you have that could help with that?"

"We've given you what you need."

"Obviously you haven't or things would've been over by now!" he barked, grabbing Doctor Tojo by his white lab coat. He shook the scientist silly for a moment, but then thought better of it and released the man.

"We don't have anything else. We didn't make anything big because the weapons are made for fighting Otome, who use light weapon and quick attacks. A large, slow, bulky weapon would not do any good against them. You have everything. If nothing else, you should meet with your lieutenants should discuss strategy."

Masujiro glared at him, but did not say anything. He tore himself away from the scene and marched off. He rounded up his captains and went to sit down with them, but he did not make it far into that. A young boy rushed into their cut of the cave.

"Lord Napolei has his troops marching to the city right now! He's already taken over several sections of the kingdom already and gained more followers! They're armed to the teeth and have fire in their eyes!" the child reported.

"That bastard! We're not giving him the city! The city is for the Reactionaries and he knows that. This is nothing short of a declaration of war," someone proclaimed.

"Then let's go give him what he wants! Everybody gear up and let's get them out of here! This is our city and we're not letting any of the Privileged take this or anything else from us!" Masujiro called.

The rebels cheered and hurried to get their weapons and such. They had claimed Windbloom as their own territory when the nobles decided that they wanted to try to take over the country. They would have to pry the capital from the Reactionaries cold dead hands. Of course, some of the nobles had to pry their own territory from the people rising up there. Apparently, that was not Lord Napolei's problem, though.

The rebel forces fled the caves, going in the direction that the boy gave them. They charged off to stop the invaders, to stop the elitists, and turn their country into one for the people. Masujiro considered that if maybe they started dropping off heads, the Privileged would get the message. It was working in Cardair, after all.

-8-8-8-8-

"Rebels on the move!" Mahya called out from in front of her computer monitor. "They're headed north! I don't have a visual on what they're moving to and I lost them on my monitor now!"

"I've got them over here!" Yohko replied from her perch by her desk. "I think they're going to engage some guy and his really mean looking army!"

Natsuki rushed over to see what the doctor was talking about. "Oh, that's Lord Napolei. Mean bastard that thinks anybody who uses Otome is a pussy, his words, not mine. He might be the one that stops the rebels. Of course, he'll also crown himself king and rule as a tyrant once he does that."

"Sounds fun," Nao remarked with a frown.

"Come on, we don't have time to lose!" Natsuki called. "We're leaving! Everybody coming along needs to move now! I don't know how long we have, so let's go quickly, people! Quickly!"

There was a flurry of activity in the infirmary as everyone moved to prepare for their own invasion. Natsuki went to grab her gear, strapping a couple of handguns to her back. She went back over to Yohko.

"Keep me updated on everything going on with the rebels," Natsuki ordered.

"I've got it. Go save the school and country … I think," Yohko replied. She sounded quite confused on what she wanted. "You know what, just don't get killed and do the right thing!"

"You got it!" the Second Column said as she hurried her "army" out of the door.

The Otome under Natsuki Kruger was rather different than under Headmistress Kruger. They had all lost the gowns in favor of cargo pants or shorts, Natsuki included. Tank tops and t-shirts were the tops of choice covered by pack vests or jackets. The sound of their boots pounded the floor as they exited the school.

-8-8-8-8-

The Otome split into small groups, taking the many entrances of the caves and moving in units. Some of them slowed, only to block the exits just in case someone made it through them and thought that they were getting away. Natsuki was so proud at how quietly her people moved, like real soldiers that never thought about super powers. Of course, some of them still did have their powers, which was a plus.

The caves were massive, but Anh's research had helped beyond what they could tell until they got inside. They could navigate the caverns with almost no fear of getting lost and they came across the rebel camps in no time. They continued moving silently as they came across activity; rebels moving by torchlight and some lanterns. The Otome were able to stay out of sight.

"Everybody in position?" Natsuki asked through an earwig and, when she was met by more silence, she knew everyone was where they were supposed to be. "All right, move!"

They came out of the shadows into the lit areas of the camp like a SWAT team, guns raised and ordering anyone that they were near to the ground. Most people listened and a few tried to get away. While almost none of the Otome were confident in firing a weapon in a closed off cave, a few did still have their powers, so they were rather impossible to get away from. Others used martial arts' techniques to down anyone that tried to flee the scene.

"Secure everything!" Natsuki called out to everyone as she marched through the camp with one thing on her mind; well, one _person_ really.

"Natsuki, I think this is a weapons' lab!" Nao screamed as she and Anh wrangled several men in lab coats trying to flee. She yanked one down to the ground and happily punched him in the face.

"Keep them there!" Natsuki shouted, reminding them all what was already agreed on. "Everybody, keep your area contained! Keep your area contained!"

The Otome all did as ordered. Because all of the Reactionary "troops" were gone, things went rather smoothly for the most part. No shots were fired, but there were some fights that broke out. The situation did not take long to get under control, though, and the Otome rounded everyone up.

"Oh, my god, Natsuki!" Mahya screamed so loudly that the pale woman had to rush over.

Natsuki gasped. "Holy shit! Who the fuck still has powers? Nao! Chie!"

Chie was there first and her jaw dropped. "What the fuck? Are these guys truly monsters? Oh, my fucking god, is Tessa dead?" she inquired in disbelief as they stared into the cage holding the captured Otome.

"Wait, the net is powered by anti-Otome technology. Chie, don't touch it," an Otome prisoner ordered.

"I guess I got this then," Natsuki said, yanking on the net. It burned slightly, but she was able to take it down. She looked through all of them, even looked passed the dead body. "Where's Shizuru? Shizuru! Shizuru!" Her heartbeat sped up to a painful speed.

"They took her days ago," Sara reported as she stepped up to Natsuki.

"Shit!" Natsuki screamed, running off to find her wife. "Shizuru! Shizuru! Shizuru!"

Natsuki moved around frantically until Otome suddenly started pointing in one direction. The pale woman almost vomited just from the grim look in their eyes and all of a sudden the air in her lungs was gone as she saw her wife chained to a wall in the dark, hanging above a pool of blood. Her skin was almost black from bruises and dirt and she was still, too still.

Natsuki was not sure how she had gotten to Shizuru, but she was standing in front of her. Tears poured out of emerald eyes as she carefully gathered up her spouse to lift her off of the bolt that secured her to the wall. With a grunt from Natsuki, Shizuru was down and Natsuki held her tightly, but gently.

"Shizuru, please," Natsuki wept, body shaking as she caressed Shizuru's filthy, cold cheek. "Please, don't leave me. Please, we have a daughter. We're supposed to raise a family together, grow old together. Please."

Anh rushed over and she was the one to check Shizuru's pulse. When she gave Natsuki a smile, she also burst into tears. Natsuki continued crying, but managed a brief smile. Shizuru was alive. Shizuru was alive.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the final battle.


	17. To the death

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

17: To the death

"Highness, the rebels are engaging in a battle with Lord Napolei. Should we deploy?" a soldier asked, calling the question through the door.

The Queen was still locked in her office, not wanting to bother with any of her people, save Aoi, anymore. She held onto that feeling by ignoring the question. She was not totally up to speed about what Lord Napolei was doing, but even if she was, she doubted that she could trust any of the intelligence coming into her.

"Highness!" someone else called, only to be ignored, too.

"Queen Mashiro, are you going to do something?" Aoi asked curiously from her perch by the desk.

"No, doing something only leads to problems. I can't do anything on my own. I always mess up," Mashiro pouted.

"Highness, you can't think that way. You're responsible for a whole country and you have to be confident enough to make decisions for the whole country," the maid pointed out.

"I'm not going to be in charge for long. I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt anymore people, so eventually the rebels or one of the nobles will take over the country. Maybe things will be better for the country," Mashiro sighed.

"You don't really believe that. You just don't know what to do now, but things will get better. You just need to calm down and think everything through instead of just jumping to the first emotional decision like you have been doing," Aoi tried to assure her.

Mashiro frowned at that assessment. While her servant was trying to coax her back into the action, clearly Aoi was not going to let her forget her poor decisions of the past. But, she was not confident enough to try to make a decision because of all of her previous mistakes. She could not trust herself to not make things worse.

There was more knocking at the door. "Your highness!"

"Fuck this," someone muttered rather loudly in the hall. "General Lenin will go fight no matter what. We could battle with him and when this is all said and done we'll put him on the goddamn throne!"

They could hear the loud stomps of the soldiers going down the hall. Mashiro could not bring herself to be upset over their words. She just wanted the fighting to stop.

"How can they treat this so casually? People are dying, regular people who have nothing to do with this, who were just trying to live their lives as best they could," the Queen sighed, shaking her head. "People are dying because of me. I didn't think this through. I need someway to stop it all."

Aoi offered her a sad smile, but continued to not have any answers. The Queen was starting to understand that she had put too much on Aoi. While she believed the maid to be much wiser than she was, she had to accept that Aoi was not a royal advisor, had not been trained to be such, and really had no business playing in politics, especially when she really had no desire to do so.

Mashiro sighed again and ducked her head. She felt like what she was doing now, relying on her maid for answers to her problems, was just another reason why she was a horrible monarch. Surely any true and good queen would know exactly what to do. In fact, she was sure a good queen would not be in the mess that she was in. _Why did I ever think I was good at being the queen? Why did I ever think I was a good queen?_

She thought about all of her actions as ever since the crown had been placed on her head. She knew that she had not been great, but she thought that she was getting better with each move. She had been trying her best, after all. Now, she considered how wrong she must have been. All the time she thought she knew what she was doing just because she just had royal blood in her, so surely she must be doing the right thing. _I was wrong in more ways than one. At least I do have some royal blood in me, but it's from Artai_. She sighed, not wanting to think about things anymore.

"I just want this to be over. I don't even care who wins now," Mashiro said and she was sincere. She decided to wait for a report from the soldiers on the current battle. Of course, it was almost certain that whoever won the war would take the throne. She would be persona non grata, but for the moment, that did not seem horrible.

-8-8-8-8-

"I don't believe this shit! You rebels are some fucking monsters!" Nao screamed as she inspected the alcove that had held the captive Otome. The body of one Otome had been left in the cage, uncovered and festering. She and Chie had found a blanket to at least properly cover the body, but that did not begin make up for the disrespect of their fellow Otome.

"We at least gave the rebels we captured medical attention if they needed it and covered anyone that fall in battle or didn't make it through the medical attention," Chie added.

"We definitely didn't let anyone die in a cage like an animal or tied anyone to a wall, leaving their wounds open and exposed," Mahya chimed in, eyes locked on Shizuru.

Natsuki was holding her unconscious spouse. She knew that she should be up, calling out orders, but she could not bring herself to do that just yet. She _needed_ to comfort Shizuru, even if the older woman was not awake for it. She caressed Shizuru's blackened cheek before surveying the place around them.

The rebels had been rounded up, as they were supposed to be. They were being tied up with ropes and chains in their lair. They had to get the people out of there before the rebel troops returned to the den to make sure no unarmed person got caught in the crossfire. She also wanted to get those anti-Otome weapons out of there. And at the top of her priority was getting help for her wife, so she had to pull herself together. Taking a deep breath, she eased Shizuru over to Anh and then climbed to her feet.

"We don't have a lot of time," Natsuki reminded her soldiers. "Let's get these in a safe corner of these caves and set up for the real party."

"You won't get away with this! Freedom for all!" one of the captive rebels shouted.

"We won't get away with it? You let a woman die without even considering medical attention. Even under the rules of war, that counts as murder. So, as far as I'm concerned, you're a group of murderers and you're the ones that won't get away with it," Natsuki stated.

"Yeah, so stop acting all high and mighty because at this point your arrogance is sickening," Shiho declared with a glare directed at the gaggle of rebels.

"You're sickening! Doing everything in your power to keep the peasant class down!" another rebel shouted.

"No, you declared war on us. Once that happened, we've only been defending ourselves," Natsuki pointed out. "Now, let's move these people somewhere out of the way, even though it's tempting to leave them in the middle of the crossfire. I'm fairly certain they wouldn't be missed by many."

"Now that you mention it, it would be easier to just leave them there," Haruka said quite seriously.

"Plus, they'd probably just leave us if the situations were reversed," Nao pointed out.

"Not to mention, they're practically animals anyway. Might as well let them be slaughtered as such," Shiho spat. The captive Otome murmured agreements with that.

"Yeah, but we're not them, so let's move them now to get them out of harm's way," Natsuki commanded. "Also, be on the look out for medical supplies. We need to do some quick field medicine for some."

The Otome began moving about the place. Sara limped over to Natsuki. The pale woman was pointing to an area that looked good enough for their prisoners.

"Principal," Sara started, but Natsuki stopped her with a raised hand.

"I'm not the principal anymore. Hell, technically I'm not even an Otome anymore. Now, decide if you want to talk with me," Natsuki said as she felt all of the captured Otome had a right to know that they were not obligated to follow her.

Sara's face scrunched up in confusion. "Of course, I want to talk to you. Is everything all right? What's going on in Windbloom? Where's the Queen to stop this?"

"I don't know. The Queen opted to leave Garderobe in favor of fighting on her own. I can only assume she's physically well and still battling it out in the streets," Natsuki stated.

Honestly, Natsuki did not want to think about the Queen at the moment. She wanted to make sure their prisoners were out of harm's way and that they were ready for battle when the Reactionary forces arrived. So, she needed to get the caves secure.

"Sara, are you fit for battle?" Natsuki inquired.

"Of course! I just need some food," Sara replied.

The second Column was skeptical and called over Nao. "Get Sara some food and then assess if she's battle ready. If she's not, let me know," Natsuki whispered to the redhead.

Nao nodded and led the First Column away. Nao would find some place safe for Sara. Natsuki went to inspect the weapons. She believed those were too dangerous to leave lying around and diminished her own forces by ordering a small group of Otome to escort the crates to Garderobe. They left immediately, carrying away every crate and loose anti-Otome weapon that was there. She could only hope that they would return in time to help with the battle, but it was best for them to get those weapons to Yohko.

"Yohko, I've got a gift coming to you. You don't need to do anything with it beyond receive it, but if you wish to tear into it, you can," Natsuki informed the doctor through their communication devices.

"I'll be here for it. I'm guessing the ambush went well," Yohko replied.

"Half of it. We still have to wait for the warriors to return and see how that turns out. How's the battle on your end?"

"The fighting is intense and hard to follow from the air because of the smoke and dust, but I believe the rebels are losing ground. They'll probably be in full retreat within the hour. I had no idea that Lord Napolei's force was so extreme. You need to be careful of them if they decide to follow the rebels when they fall back. I'll let you know when they're falling back all the way."

"Good. Natsuki out."

The pale woman turned her attention back to her own troops. Everything seemed to be going as expected. The prisoners were being put out of the way and several exits were blocked off along with many pathways. Natsuki decided to be with her wife while she had a moment.

Anh was still tending to the Third Column, who was laid out on a table. The tawny-haired princess patched up whatever wounds that she could, but the grim look on her face told the former principal that her dear wife needed a real doctor.

"She lost a lot of blood," Anh said quietly.

"She's still alive, right?" Natsuki asked in a small voice.

"She is, but her pulse is getting weaker. Do you want to risk running her back over to Garderobe? I can go and probably be back before the battle. I still have my powers."

"How do you do that? You always come out of a battle like perfectly fine. You'd be the one that falls in shit and come out smelling like roses," Natsuki commented. "Please, go." She leaned down, kissing Shizuru's forehead.

Anh nodded and gathered Shizuru in her arms, rushing off. Usually, Natsuki would have not allowed Shizuru to have special treatment, but that was when she was principal and they both liked her to be as fair as possible. Now, fair was saving the life of the woman that stood by her through it all, fair was making sure her daughter had two mothers at the end of this, fair was making sure the Council and the rebels did not take anything more from her or the Viola family. With Shizuru on her way to safety, Natsuki got back to making sure everything was running smoothly.

-8-8-8-8-

Anh did her best to stay under the radar as she flew back to Garderobe. She used buildings as cover, ignoring that some of them were little more then piles or rubble. She was glad that Shizuru was unconscious for this because she could not imagine the pain that Shizuru would feel to see her country in ruins.

She made it back to Garderobe as quickly as she thought she would, which was great for Shizuru. She had doubts that she would make it back at the start of the battle, though. Natsuki had to know that, but let her go anyway. She understood where Natsuki's priorities lied and she could not blame the younger woman one bit for her feelings.

"Yohko-sensei, I've got another one for you!" Anh called as she marched into the infirmary.

Garderobe students buzzed around, helping in various ways, but stopped when they saw whom it was the princess was carrying. Anh walked through the parted crowd right to Yohko, who continued doing a million things at once. That all stopped when she saw Shizuru.

"Holy hell! What the hell did they do to her?" Yohko asked incredulously.

"The shorter list is probably what they didn't do to her, but it looks like the torture amateur hour," Anh said, easing Shizuru onto a nearby cot.

"Of course, because why should they treat prisoners after badly hacking them up?" Yohko sighed. "Look, I have her. You need to get back to the caves. The rebels were in full retreat as soon as you came in. I already informed Natsuki. I'll have someone keep tracking them and I'll take care of Shizuru."

Anh nodded. "And we'll crush these bastards," she promised.

Yohko sighed. "They had some really good ideas. Too bad they turned out to be just as bad as the bastards they're tightly against."

"In my country we have a saying that roughly translates into if men were angels, we wouldn't need a government."

"It's oh so true."

"Take care of Shizuru." Anh was gone on that note. She hoped that she made it before the battle started. She should be able to beat the rebel forces there if she did not run into any problems and they did.

Again, she made sure to keep a low profile, hearing shots in the distance. As she drew closer to the caves, the sound of gunfire grew louder. She had a feeling that she was fashionably late. She moved to where the Otome were supposed to set up for the battle and found them, guns drawn and firing down on the rebels. The rebels were trying to make it back to the caves, but the entry points had been blocked and Otome were raining down bullets on them.

"How are we doing?" Anh asked Natsuki, settling down next to the Second Column.

Natsuki looked through the scope of her rifle, tracking her enemies. "Right now, we're doing really good. They ran right into the line of fire. We even gave them a chance to just surrender." She let loose several shots, dropping enemies in the distance as they drew closer to entry points of the caves that had not been blocked.

Anh shook her head. "A softy to the core. You gave away the position just to avoid massacring the rebels, after seeing what they did to your wife and the fact that they allowed an Otome to die in their care."

"I'm not them," Natsuki grunted as she let loose more shots.

Anh smiled as she shouldered her own weapon. "You're better." She opened fire, dropping several rebels within moments.

-8-8-8-8-

The Otome had positioned themselves on the high ground, which were the caves themselves. They were able see the rebels approach and kept them pinned with gunfire as the Reactionaries tried to fight their way into the caves. Of course, they could not find the proper entrance for the caves either. Whenever one of them ventured close to it, Natsuki dropped them with expert rifle fire.

Some of the rebels ducked for cover and returned fire, even though they could barely see where the Otome were. Others panicked, as Natsuki expected, and they trapped themselves against the blocked entrances. They were easy to take out. It was going as planned until a third player joined the game.

"Fuck, is that another army?" Natsuki muttered as she looked through her scope. She sucked her teeth as she realized that Lord Napolei was approaching, apparently wanting to go in for the kill against the Reactionaries. "Attention all forces, we've got a nobleman and his army approaching."

"Are they on our side?" Chie asked through her communication link.

"Not to be crude, but how the fuck should I know? I'm assuming every man for himself at this point, especially when the bastard is trying to take over the kingdom," Natsuki replied.

"We can't be like that! They might be able to help!" Shiho pointed out.

"She's right," Anh agreed.

"Need I remind you all that this is the guy that said a person who needs Otome is a pussy and he's currently trying to take over the country?" Natsuki pointed out.

"He could still help!" Mai argued.

Natsuki growled. "Fuck! Fine. I need someone with Otome powers to fly over to him! Don't say anything, just see if they shoot at you! If they shoot at you, obviously they're not here to help."

Mai was the brave soul to do so. She flew over the rebels, putting up a shield to protect herself from gun shots, even though she knew that would not do her any good if the rebels had any anti-Otome weapons on them. Everyone was surprised when the Reactionaries' bullets had no effect on Mai, so they were probably only fighting with regular weapons. The redhead made if passed the battlefield.

Natsuki watched her friend through her scope, planning to fire into the Lord's army if necessary, even though she doubted that her shot would reach that far. Still, Mai probably needed some cover and she was responsible since she sent the redhead out there. Besides, she would end up waging war with Lord Napolei should he succeed in injuring her best friend.

Natsuki knew what the Lord was about when she saw Mai retreat almost immediately. They were about to have a three-way battle on her hands, which she had not planned for. She needed to think of something quickly. The smell of gunpowder distracted her, though, and she turned her attention back to the battle that they were currently engaged in.

"I need everyone to get ready to fight with Lord Napolei if he makes it this far! I repeat be prepared for another dance partner!" Natsuki reported to the Otome.

"We didn't plan for that!" Shiho complained.

"The principal's going to get us all killed!" an Otome cried out.

"Calm down! Nobody panic!" Haruka barked. "Natsuki, what do you need us to do?"

"I need you to keep fighting this battle right now while I figure out what to do with the next one if it makes it to that point!" Natsuki answered as Mai return.

"I don't think Lord Napolei is going to be on our side. His troops were howling about how he would be the emperor," Mai reported.

"Oh, great, we've got to deal with a guy's megalomania, too," Natsuki grunted as she continued firing down on the rebels. "Haruka, I've got movement coming over to your side of the hill. Take 'em out! Don't let them get in that way or we'll have to go into the caves while the Lord is out here!"

"I've got it!" Haruka stated.

Natsuki took a deep breath and focused again on their enemies, watching where they were moving. The arrival of Lord Napolei was screwing with the plan just a little bit because Natsuki had actually wanted to herd the rebels into the caves, where they would have actually had them pinned, but now they would also end up pinned.

"Shit, Natsuki, they're going in! I repeat, they're going in! They found the opening and they're going in! What do you want me to do?" Haruka inquired.

Natsuki growled and she felt like her mind was going a mile-a-minute. She wanted to tell Haruka to just handle it; she was a general, after all. But, Haruka was more of an open-field, smash-the-enemy general. The Aries army had other generals that handled true stratagem and finesse.

"I know! I know! Haruka, go with the plan! I repeat, go with the plan!" Natsuki ordered. "I need everyone with Otome powers to prepare to engage Lord Napolei! He doesn't have the anti-Otome weapons, so you can fight him like you would any other enemy!"

"Brilliant!" Chie approved.

Natsuki was not sure if she would call it that, but she hoped that it worked. Anh finished the rounds in her gun before going off to do as Natsuki ordered. The pale woman sighed when she saw who she was sending away; everyone that had been with her from the very beginning. Anh, Mai, Mikoto (who had to follow Mai), Nao, Chie, Mahya, Shiho, and Haruka were gone with a half dozen other Otome. She hoped that was enough to handle Lord Napolei, but if it was not, she knew that they would let her know. Natsuki moved to make sure things did not fill apart on the inside.

"Move, move, move!" Natsuki called to her people.

Otome hopped up to close in their positions, needing to follow the rebels into the cave. They continued firing on the retreating rebels, who continued firing back. Some of the Otome began falling as they left the cover of the large boulders and rock that had hidden them and kept them relatively safe from the bullets zipping by them.

"Keep moving, keep moving!" Natsuki commanded, knowing that her soldiers could be distracted by their fallen comrades if they were allowed to think about what was happening.

The Otome followed the tail end of the rebels into the cave, continuing to fire after them as the rebels tried to hid in the caves. The rebels quickly found out that the caverns were not the way that they had left them. The Otome had managed to block nearby tunnels, pushing the rebels in one direction. Everything was going as planned until the caves suddenly shook as an explosion sounded off outside.

"Shit, what's happening out there, people?" Natsuki asked through her communication link.

"They've got fucking rockets! Who the fuck sells a private citizen rockets?" Nao shouted in disbelief.

"Do you need assistance?" Natsuki demanded.

"We got this! Focus on the inside!" Haruka barked.

"Got it," Natsuki answered, keeping her gun raised as she marched in after the rebels.

The caves shook again, rocks falling from above, but the Otome moved on. The rebels ran out of space, coming to the dead-end that consisted of their own possessions blocking their way. Instead of lying down their arms, they continued firing as the Otome drew closer. Natsuki could not believe their stubbornness, but accepted that they would have to probably shoot all of them.

The battle looked like it was about to be over when suddenly the whole side of the cave burst open. Sharp stones and rubble flew everywhere and the army outside poured into the fight. Natsuki cursed under her breath as shrapnel tore through her clothing, but thankfully did not hit anything vital as she went for cover.

"Everybody get down!" Natsuki screamed and watched as the Otome did as ordered.

The rebels went for cover, too. Natsuki glanced at the powered Otome and saw that they actually did have things in hand, beyond the fact that Lord Napolei's army fired more rockets and had hand grenades at they tossed every few seconds. Natsuki made a command decision that she hoped she would not live to regret.

"Otome, move! Capture the rebels, capture the rebels!" the pale woman ordered, moving on her own to show them just what she wanted them to do.

For a moment, the Otome seemed like they did not know what Natsuki meant, but they snapped out of it. They fell on the rebels like hungry locusts, crushing the spaces between them, making it almost impossible for the rebels to fire their weapons. Shots continued to be fired, rocks continued to fall, and the ground shook.

Dust covered the already dark cavern and when it settled the Otome were still standing. They seemed to be in disbelief that they were the last man standing in the three-way contest. Almost everyone had wide eyes and gaping mouths. Anh, outside the cave, began laughing, which caused those with her to do the same. Soon, the Otome in the cave were laughing, too, save Natsuki.

The pale woman stared at the destruction and death and could not help wondering if the victory even meant anything. There was still more to do, even with the city's rebels subdued. There were still the rebels in the provinces. There were conquering nobles in the provinces. She was not sure what to do, if she should do anything. She shook that away as she heard someone calling her name.

"Natsuki, what do we do now?" Chie inquired.

"Gather weapons, check bodies, and we'll start transporting prisoners," Natsuki replied.

"Transporting prisoners? Where, back to the school? We don't have any place to keep prisoners,'' Mahya pointed out.

"That might be news to the other two-dozen prisoners we have," Natsuki remarked.

Seeing her point, everyone moved to do as she ordered. She again looked at the bodies littering the area. _Such a waste_. Her eyes fell upon Masujiro and his dead eyes stared back at her. She knew that the rebels had pretty much threw away everything for everything and ended up with nothing. _You should never gamble with human lives_.

-8-8-8-8-

The victorious Otome returned to Garderobe to be greeted by cheering and adoring students. Natsuki walked through all of that as if she did not even notice. She went directly to Shizuru, who was lying in a hospital bed. Those beautiful crimson eyes were open and Natsuki felt like she might drown in them. She practically fell upon her spouse, holding her in tight embrace that caused Shizuru to wince.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts, but I can't let you go," Natsuki whispered, kissing her beloved spouse on the forehead.

"I don't want you to let me go," Shizuru replied. "I knew you'd come for me and everyone else."

"I didn't have much of a choice with everyone else since you were with them. I would've moved heaven and Earl to get you back, traveled to Hell on foot, crawled through hot coals and broken glass. I would have done anything to hold you in my arms again. So, how're you doing?"

"Healing. Yohko-sensei says I'll heal fine. It'll take time, of course, but I'll be all right."

"Good. Good." Natsuki inhaled deeply, taking in Shizuru's scent. Their moment was broken as someone cleared her throat. Emerald eyes looked up to see Miss Maria. Natsuki frowned. "What now?"

"The battle is over, but we still need to decide what to do with the weapons, the prisoners, and if this ends our involvement in the revolution," Miss Maria pointed out.

Natsuki sighed. "I'll be back, my love," she said before kissing the side of Shizuru's head.

Shizuru only nodded and Natsuki stepped away. The weapons she ordered to Yohko already, so the scientist had those. Yohko let her assistants play with those, taking them apart and learning what each weapon did. Natsuki held the prisoners in different areas of the school with armed Otome watching them. She was not sure what to do with them until Arika spoke up.

"Mashiro probably would've put them in the dungeon and threw the key away," the Windbloom Otome remarked.

A light bulb went off in Natsuki's head. "You know what, something like that needs to happen. We need to get Mashiro. Can you do that, Arika?"

"Of course," the younger woman answered and she marched off.

"Please tell me you're not relying on Mashiro to end all of this," Nao implored.

"It's that or let the last crew standing have the country," Natsuki argued. "I can't let anyone have the country. I just can't." Her eyes strayed to Shizuru. Windbloom was Shizuru's home. She would save it for her and the Viola family. _Or at least I'll try_.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Natsuki's plan to save Windbloom and Anh finds out there's more to the revolution than the Otome thought.


	18. Mightier than the sword

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

18: Mightier than the sword

Natsuki wanted to be with Shizuru, but found there was still so much to do. She wished that someone else would take charge, but everyone seemed content now to follow her orders. _If only things were this easy early on_.

Arika was attempting to get in touch with Queen Mashiro for Natsuki because the Second Column had a plan to end the chaos that was the Windbloom Civil War now. She wondered if the Windbloom Reactionaries would be upset to know it was considered a civil war instead of the revolution that they wanted. She had long since stopped caring because they had taken a wonderful idea and perverted it, stained it with innocent blood and showed no remorse for it. They disgusted her as much as the Reactionaries of Cardair.

As for the Reactionaries, she had to do something about them beyond her plan to turn them over to the Windbloom government whenever everything sorted itself out. She needed to question them on their actions and dealings with other rebels around the country in order to try to stop them from doing anything else. She wanted to try to prevent more people from getting hurt.

Last but not least, there were the Mad Scientists that were thankfully in the Otome custody now. She needed to get to the bottom of why they made their anti-Otome weapons and why they decided to arm the rebels in Windbloom and Cardair. For her, that was the greatest mystery, but also the one that concerned her the least. Still, she had to figure it out since it was all tied to the Reactionaries, both domestic and abroad.

"Shit, I need to find out what the hell is going on in Cardair," Natsuki realized and made a mental note to go bother Yohko. She was certain that the chief medical officer was tired of her; well, tired in general. She could probably also get information from Miss Maria, but with the excitement dying down and her blood settling, she found herself not wanting to face the older Otome.

Natsuki did not have time to think about that as Haruka approached her. Mai was at Haruka's side, so Natsuki could guess what they wanted to talk about. Well, she hoped that she guessed right because they could consider everything missioned accomplished and they were going home now. After all, they had no obligation to be there now that the First Column was safe and sound.

"Hey, Natsuki, when are you interrogating those scientist bastards?" Haruka demanded with a hard frown.

"You want in?" Natsuki asked the pair.

"Hell, yeah! They hurt my cousin, so they need to pay!" the blond roared.

"We need to know why they did what they did to Sara," Mai said.

"We need to know more than that. Come on, we can go talk to at least one of the scientists now. I need to find out if Arika got in touch with the Queen and I need to find out how things are going in Cardair," Natsuki explained.

The pair nodded in agreement, but Mai had a question. "You're actually worried about Cardair?"

"Yeah, I'm worried. I told them how they should proceed and I need to know if it worked or not," Natsuki answered.

Mai smiled. "You're a good person, Natsuki."

The pale woman scoffed and emerald eyes rolled. She did not think she qualified as a "good person" just because she did not want the Otome to die. Of course, she was fairly certain that was not what Mai was talking. Mai was more than likely hinting to the fact that if things had not worked, she would sit down and try to come up with something else, despite the fact that the Otome had all but abandoned her and labeled her a traitor.

They marched off, heading to the building that they were using to hold some of their prisoners. It was one of the dorms; it had been damaged in the two invasions. Each room held one scientist because Natsuki did not want them communicating with each other. The rooms were crudely locked with doorknobs broken on the inside and a beam across the door in the front. They did not have enough people to guard each individual.

"Who do you want to take?" Mai asked.

"Let's peek in on them and see who makes the best candidate," Natsuki replied.

The silence was taken as an agreement. They began opening the doors quickly taking in the scientists there in. Some were pacing, some sitting on whatever furniture in the room, others talking to themselves, and then they found one sitting with his back against the wall, his knees drawn to his chest, and tear stains on his cheek. He would be the first person that they talked to.

"We should get some fine conversation out of him," Natsuki remarked.

-8-8-8-8-

Arika put in a lot of effort in tracking down Mashiro, so it was no surprise that she literally hooted and jumped for joy when the Queen was finally put on the line. She then breathed a sigh of relief just from hearing a simple "hello" from the monarch. She physically felt lighter in hearing Mashiro's voice.

"Hey," Arika said with a smile once she remembered how to talk.

"Arika!" Mashiro shouted with pure elation. "Oh, my god! I'm so happy to hear from you! Are you all right?"

"I'm all right. I'm at Garderobe. Nao-san saved me."

"Remind to make a holiday for Nao-san," Mashiro remarked, sounding completely sincere.

Arika laughed. "She'd probably love that. Anyway, I've been trying to find you for almost an hour. I'm happy you got to safety. But, now I need you to come to Garderobe."

"Garderobe? What? Why? I'd rather that you come to me."

"No, I need you to come here. Natsuki-sama has a plan and she needs your help. Please, help her this time," the Otome implored. Her Master had a dislike toward the principal ever since Natsuki offered Mashiro unasked advice on what to do with Maximilian Straw, but she knew it was time to put that aside.

"Natsuki-sama? What's her plan?" Mashiro asked, sounding anxious. Arika was surprised her Master had not lost her temper over the request.

"She didn't tell me. She's doing about a million things at one time, so she keeps getting interrupted. I think she'll explain it if you come. She's had a lot of good ideas about everything. This might be another one." She had heard and been told about the things she missed, most surrounding how Natsuki led them to victory. Of course, she was also starting to hear how Natsuki was not principal anymore and soon they would not have to listen to her. Arika wanted to find out what that was about since it seemed like some of her fellow Otome were eager to get to the point of not having to listen to Natsuki, which she could not understand.

Mashiro was silent for a moment. "I think it might be best if I listen to Natsuki-sama, too. I'm not sure how I'll get there, though. The troops I had abandoned me and it's not safe out."

Arika nodded in agreement. "Hmm … I'll come get you with Nao-san. I don't have my Otome powers anymore, but she does. We'll be there soon."

"Okay. Oh, maybe you could bring Chie Hallard. Aoi's here and I'm sure they'd like to see each other. We're in the royal bunker."

"Okay, see you soon." Arika did not want to hang up, but the sooner she did, the sooner she would get to see the Queen. She then went to get Nao and Chie to accompany her to the royal bunker.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki returned to the infirmary, cracking her knuckles on the way back. She left Mai and Haruka with the scientists as they had already got information from two of them. So far, they knew that the Mad scientists were not a Reactionary group, but hired science thugs. The two did not seem to know who hired them, but that they were paid to develop weapons to fight the Otome. One even let them know that the weapons were only supposed to be in Windbloom, but had no idea why. Natsuki suspected it was because they were supposed to attack Garderobe at full force, but she did not have anything to back that up. Natsuki hoped that they would get to the bottom of that. Right now, needed to get to the bottom of other things.

"Somebody tell me what the hell is going on in Cardair? Please!" Natsuki shouted, not thinking about the rest that she was probably disturbing.

"Why? Did something happen there?" Shiho asked, popping her head up from where she was helping with the injured.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Natsuki replied, eyes on Yohko.

"Why are you looking at me? I've only been saving lives here!" the doctor huffed.

The pale woman decided to leave Yohko alone because the stress had obviously finally gotten to her. Natsuki looked for Miss Maria. The ancient Otome was nowhere in sight and Natsuki was not in the mood to search for her. She sat down at a computer to look on her own.

She was surprised by all of the information that she found on media sites. She guessed the media blackout failed once the emperors lost control of the country. She scanned the most up-to-date articles before Yohko came and sat down next to her.

"Sorry about that. I'm just so pissed over everything that's been happening and it bubbled to the surface. You're actually the last person I want to snap at," Yohko apologized.

"It's cool," Natsuki said.

"No, it's not cool. Everyone has treated you like shit because of your political beliefs, beliefs I share for the most part, but no one bothers me about it. You, on the other hand, have been treated like you're going to betray us all for it and it's just been bugging the crap out of me. Here you are busting your ass for people who will probably turn on you again as soon as this all over and it's just bothering me. This place is so ugly now and I'm so disgusted with it."

The younger woman scoffed. "You and me both."

"Yeah, so as far as Cardair, Laula contacted us while you were out. She seems to think the situation in is hand now. Fighting with regular weapons was the way to go. She said it seems like those rebels are running out of ammo. She's sure they'll win in a few days. She wanted to thank you for the idea."

Natsuki grunted. "She'd have figured it out eventually. It wasn't rocket science."

"She let the others think she had figured it out because she was sure they wouldn't try it if they knew it came from you."

"It doesn't matter to me. I just want this all over. Don't you?"

Yohko nodded. "I think I'm going to go back home after this. It's been fun playing with this high tech equipment, but I can't stay somewhere that might want my mind and soul like they seem to want yours. I mean, if they want yours, then they'll want the children, and then the staff. And it might not be the New Philosophy, but something else soon."

"That's scary, but you're right. Where does it end? How much of yourself do they expect you to give up?" Natsuki sounded haunted. She had not considered that, had not had the time. She thought about how the Council kept trying to pull Shizuru back in when it seemed like she was close to retiring to expand their family. There was no replacement in line for the Third Column and Shizuru was damn near the perfect Otome. Of course, they did not want to give her up.

"Exactly. I've taken this as far as I need to and I can't stay anymore. Not after this."

"Understood. Would you still be able to impregnate Shizuru after this, even without being here?" Natsuki felt anxiety bubbling up in her stomach. She loved Shinobu with all of her heart, but she wanted at least one more daughter. A daughter that Shizuru would carry and deliver.

"Not immediately, no. I know the procedure, but I'd need time to recreate this lab."

Natsuki chuckled a bit. "Sounds like that might take a while. Good luck on making this thing again. Where are you getting the funding?"

"You're a princess, right?" Yohko laughed.

"I guess I would have to give up a little something if it means I get my daughter. You've practically already got funding from me, then."

"What about you? What are you going to do?"

Natsuki shook her head. She had not had the time to think about it. She was living by the hour right now and she could only focus on so many things at once. Yohko patted her shoulder.

"You need to start thinking because you damn sure can't stay here. They'll run you ragged, physically and emotionally. You do know that, right?" the doctor pointed out.

Natsuki sighed. "Even if they didn't, I wasn't planning on staying. I don't care the way I used to. I just don't care anymore. What comes next, though, I have to talk that over with my wife," she said and then she caught sight of the Queen entering. "After I deal with another headache that hopefully brings this one step closer to being over."

Yohko snorted and laughed. "Good luck with that." She knew how difficult the Queen could be. "I've got patients to check on." The doctor then practically fled the scene.

"Coward," Natsuki teased before rising to her feet. She hoped meeting the Queen halfway physically would lead to the young woman meeting her halfway mentally. "Queen Mashiro," she greeted the shorter female.

"Principal Kruger," Mashiro replied.

"Just Natsuki now. I'm sure any Otome here will tell you that. I was fired not too long ago," Natsuki said. She wanted to be upfront with everything, so she did not have to deal with accusations again.

"Fired?" Mashiro and Aoi gasped.

"Yup, fired. I'm just plain Natsuki now. Now, just-plain-Natsuki would like to discuss a way to possibly get this insanity under control," the pale woman stated.

"Are you sure I can help you? A lot of people don't really like me much now and don't view me as the Queen. They also think I got a bunch of people killed," Mashiro pointed out.

"But, you're still the Queen. You can reach these people, but you have to believe in yourself and believe that you're doing the right thing. You have to show them that confidence because a lot of people are just looking for a leader right now, a righteous leader. Can you do that?" Natsuki asked.

Mashiro was silent until Arika put a hand on her shoulder. Mashiro glanced at her Otome, who smiled. It was only then that Mashiro nodded.

"Good, come on. You have to see the most charming orator I know while I go over what you should talk about," Natsuki said, already walking off.

Mashiro looked at Arika before following the Second Column. Natsuki led them to Shizuru's bedside. She pulled chairs up for them and then sat on the opposite side, taking Shizuru's hand. She smiled when her spouse gave her a puzzled look.

"You give more touching speeches than I do, so while I go through the technical pieces that I think need to be said, I need you to put those things in terms that you'd use," Natsuki explained.

Shizuru's face scrunched up. "You want us to write a speech for the Queen?"

"Yeah, like right now."

"A speech? You think a speech will fix all of this?" Mashiro asked incredulously. She moved as if she was about to get out of her chair, but she stopped when Arika put her hand on the Queen's.

"You said you'd hear her out," the Otome reminded her Master.

Mashiro settled back into her seat and focused on Natsuki. "All right, fine. Tell me how a speech is going to save the day."

Natsuki groaned, but a squeeze from Shizuru's hand helped calm her down. Still, she did not want to be patronized by Mashiro; by anyone really, but especially by Mashiro. She swallowed that for now, wanting things to be over more than she needed her pride.

"Right now, the country is fractured and it's your job to mend it. You can't do that with an army, with bullets, or with fists. You need to make people see that it's in everyone's best interest to stop and try to civilly resolve the deep issues here and you need to acknowledge that there are deep issues, but these issues will be addressed and ultimately taken care of by the government," Natsuki stated.

"So, I should give into everything they want?" Mashiro huffed.

Natsuki growled, but Shizuru spoke up before her wife snapped. "You won't give into anything. You're letting the people know that you understand things are not perfect and you want to help build things up. You want people to know there's a better way than fighting in the streets and violence isn't going to fix anything. You want people to know that together we can all make this country better," Shizuru explained in a calm tone.

Mashiro nodded, but she did not say anything. Natsuki jumped in while she had the chance. She gave the bullet-point list of what she wanted Mashiro to touch on in one speech and they would draw those points out if more speeches where needed. Mashiro did not look convinced, which Natsuki hated to think, but the Queen's attitude was Shizuru's problem.

"You have to find a way to fix her face," Natsuki informed her wife.

Shizuru actually frowned at that. She did not appear amused in the slightest, but her expression was not directed at her spouse. No, she was giving the most dead serious look in her arsenal because she was being asked to do the impossible.

"Ara, ara, perhaps I shall just use the Otome MASK program, which allows us to impersonate any human being on Earl. I shall play the Queen and give the country to the democrats," Shizuru declared and Natsuki was fairly sure that she mostly meant it. Of course, with no Otome powers, Shizuru could not do such a thing, but she could very easily get Anh to do it.

"They're the ones that started this mess!" Mashiro barked.

"That matter is debatable and irrelevant," Natsuki commented. "Now, can we get back to the really important matters here? You have to make the people believe things will get better and if you start blaming people, you just come across as whiny and immature. People already view you as a brat. You have to come across as mature and show that you have learned from this situation."

"I'm not a brat! I didn't come here to be insulted!" Mashiro griped.

"Your highness, have you forgotten all your laments already?" Aoi asked, approaching with Chie by her side. She gave the Queen a scolding glare.

Mashiro sighed and her shoulders dropped. "No, I haven't. It's just …" She turned fully to Natsuki and Shizuru, staring intently at both of them, but looking much more humble. "I'm sorry. I've been this way my whole life and it's hard to turn off."

"You're going to need to turn it off because your absolute monarch bullshit isn't going to fly with the people. They don't want to be subjects anymore," Natsuki pointed out.

"They don't want to be _my_ subjects anymore because I'm not the real queen," Mashiro sighed in despair.

"No, they don't want to be subject to someone else's crazy whims. If you stick to these talking points everything should be fine," Natsuki stated, pointing down to the list that she wrote. Underneath that was the beginning of a speech that she figured Shizuru could finish.

"All right," Mashiro agreed.

Natsuki nodded. "Shizuru, I leave her in your extremely capable hands. Don't touch her inappropriately with them."

Shizuru chuckled. "You know I can't make that promise."

Natsuki kissed her wife's cheek and left the area. She wanted to find out what was going on with the Mad Scientists and she wanted to get started with questioning the rebels. She found Anh and told her to begin on the rebels while she went to check on Mai and Haruka.

She found the pair sitting with a new scientist than the one she left them with. They seemed to be comforting the woman, trying to put her at ease and convince her that they were her friends and would help her. Natsuki left then to it since they appeared to be getting somewhere. She decided to go help Anh and they could all compare notes later that day.

"Miss Maria," she called for the older woman when she happened to see her with a group of students.

Miss Maria turned. "Yes?"

"Questioning prisoners. Tag along?" she requested. Having two bad cops and one overly-nice-also-incredibly-dramatic cop should work.

"Oh, yes," Miss Maria agreed with a smile that made Natsuki's blood run cold when it was directed at her. The two were about to walk off, but a student stopped them.

"Uh … Principal, we were wondering if it's okay to start really rebuilding the school," the coral student said.

Natsuki wanted to point out that she was not the principal anymore and they were free to do as they damned well pleased, but that would not do any good. Besides, her former students deserved better than that. They were good kids and maybe one day they would be the ones to change the system … provided they all did not drink the kool-aid.

"Yeah, I think it's safe to start rebuilding. We have the rebels and they were the ones after us," Natsuki replied and everyone's face in the group lit up. She smiled at them.

The girls charged off and the ladies went to join Anh, who true to her personality had the most touchy-feely, cooing-cuddly form of Interrogation that they had ever seen. She did not give up any personal space either. She was pressed against the prisoner's back, practically nibbling his ear as she spoke to him in a low, airy voice. Natsuki and Miss Maria were not surprised; they had seen her straddle a guy up for questioning on more than one occasion. When Anh was done, she disregarded the rather dazed man as if he were trash.

"Anything?" Natsuki asked as the princess approached them. Mahya got the prisoner out of the room.

Anh actually giggled. "Oh, so many treasures to share with you. The rebels themselves had actually been infiltrated by a small group of men that basically pushed for the revolution to get violent. Ask me who put then up to this."

Miss Maria frowned impatiently, but Natsuki was used to this type of game. "Who put them up to this?" the pale woman asked with a sense of false cheer.

"Oh, only a certain Marquis in Artai!" Anh reported, puffed up and very proud of herself. Natsuki silently admitted that it had to be fun to be Anh most of the time just from the way she behaved.

"Wait, are you telling me that people were sent in from Artai to instigate a more violent revolution?" Natsuki asked incredulously.

"Yup." Anh looked ready to burst and smug at the same time.

Natsuki had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. "And you put together a huge piece of this mystery, haven't you?"

"Oh, I have because I've met that jerk on more than occasion and he covets any throne like it was the last salvation. He actually tried to propose to me once."

Natsuki burst out laughing. "Had no idea you were a lady killer?" She doubted there was another person on Earth that was as openly gay as Anh.

"Even if I were only into men and wanted to get married right now, he'd be the last man on Earl that I allowed within ten feet of me and I'd never let him touch me. He's a creep, but a smooth creep. I've seen him talk to women. He's not as good as I am, but he's pretty good, like his father. Plus, he uses the idea of being royalty on a lot of common born women and they just eat it up."

"And what does that have to do with the revolution?" Miss Maria inquired.

Anh's eyes flashed with delight. "He also had access to the information of Mashiro's birth being older than she is, so he had first hand knowledge of who she was, but he's still too far down the line for the throne in Artai, so he would never be able to be the Grand Duke. He stirred up this trouble so once things settled down a bit, he could waltz in here and claim the throne because his half-sister once sat upon it. He needed to connect the throne to himself, which he does by outing the Queen," she explained.

"This whole thing is fucking royal intrigue?" Natsuki sighed and felt an instant headache coming on.

"Not all of it. The rebels were genuine. Well, the rebels that hadn't been bused in from Artai. Of course, now with all of the nobility fighting, it does come across as stupid royal intrigue and just desire for the throne. But, there's more here than we thought."

Natsuki groaned. "Isn't always? I'm on pretty good terms with the Grand Duke. If we compile enough evidence, he'll listen and make a fair decision."

Miss Maria scoffed. "Artai and fair? Complete oxymoron."

Natsuki and Anh did not comment. Mahya brought in the next rebel for them. Natsuki and Miss Maria continued to stand back until it seemed like Anh needed them. After all, not every rebel was going to let their small heads reign control, especially when they made it to Maximilian Straw.

He looked beaten and broken, both physically and psychologically. His arm was bandaged and in a sling. His leg was in a cast. A bandage around his head and the glassy stare spoke of a concussion. Stones in the cave had obviously struck him. Natsuki shook her head.

"I don't think we'll get much out of him. His cause is dead," Natsuki stated.

His head shot up. "My cause will never die! The people will always want rights and soon they'll all rise up and take power from you privileged bitches! The people will rise! The people will rise!" he chanted.

"No, the people will do better, but not rise in the sense that you speak of," Natsuki assured him. "The violence hasn't and won't get anywhere. You can see what happened here and Cardair. Hell, you can see if in history with what happened in Lutesia. You should've kept it peaceful."

He actually spat at her feet. Natsuki shook her head and shrugged. _Might as well get this over with_.

-8-8-8-8-

Mashiro was ready to give her speech, which was mostly written by Natsuki and touched up by Shizuru. Shizuru had also coached Mashiro on how to give the speech. Shizuru showed skepticism in Mashiro being ready, but Natsuki insisted that it was go time. The Queen was stood on a hill on campus that looked right into the city. Natsuki wanted the people in the provinces where things might not be so bad to see how far things had gone in the city. She wanted the people of Windbloom to see what had happened in what was once the light of their country.

The broadcast equipment was set up and everything was in place. Mashiro was dressed purposely in plain clothes, not to look like a commoner, but to show that she had lost all her splendor thanks to the action in Windbloom. The Queen had a little time to go over her notes before Natsuki had her standing in front of the camera. Natsuki was barely out of the way when she gave the signal for the camera to roll. Mashiro looked into the lens.

"Hello, people of Windbloom and worldwide. I'm sure you all know me. I'm Queen Mashiro Blan de Windbloom. Recent events have brought to light that I am not completely who we all, myself included, thought. I was born in Artai, but I'm a child of Windbloom. This is the only home I've ever known; the same for many of you and I'm sure you're dying inside just like I am to see things like this." Mashiro sniffled as she motioned behind her.

The single camera moved to show the scenery. Windbloom was a smoldering war zone. The jewel of the desert was now ash in the dirt. The camera then returned to Mashiro.

"Whether I am the daughter of Queen Sifr or the sister of the Grand Duke of Artai, this is my home and it pains me to see it this way. I acknowledge that I played a hand in some of this. I helped put us on this path, in more ways than one. I've ignored your plights, mishandled situations, and misread more things than any leader should, but I want to fix it. I wanted to fix it before, but I was stubborn and tried it on my own without trustworthy advisors.

"For this to truly be fixed, we all have to want it. I have laid down my arms. I will not fight anymore. I will build. We need to all build for this to work. And, I know you all think you need to keep fighting because it seems like that's the only way things will change, but all it will do is cause the rest of the country to look like the capital city. I'm sure we all don't want Windbloom to rot.

"I admit that my actions in the past have not helped, but now I want to change that. I want to change for the better. I want to change this country for the better. For that to happen, I recognize that the country needs to change, government needs to change, and I have to acknowledge that you need to be able to have a say in the government. It's your country, too." She said with such conviction that it was clear that she finally believed that. Her eyes finally showed some compassion, humility, and maturity. Hopefully, the people recognized that.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: rebuilding and healing.


	19. Peace talks

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.

19: Peace talks

Mashiro's speech went over pretty well, but she had to give a couple more for most people to believe her. The people wanted someone to believe and they wanted someone to make the violence end. Mashiro being the one had an effect that she almost could not believe. It was almost like the people wanted her to lead them and she just needed to step up to the role. Natsuki did not want to burst her bubble by telling her in troubling times, people would grasp at any straw, including a false queen. Of course, she had a feeling that it would not be so easy to do in Cardair because they were not grasping, they were demanding things.

Cardair was not so easy to settle because the people were not accepting their former monarchs like Windbloom seemed ready to do. For the moment, the only emperor even safe in that country was Kazuya, but the people were still reluctant to accept his authority. He did his best to keep things calm, promising vast changes in the empire. Natsuki did not have faith that the empire would survive unless Kazuya could pull a rabbit out of his hat that miraculously soothed the masses. It did not help that the nobles in Cardair wanted to actually tighten control to punish the people for their actions. Kazuya was probably not going to do that, but he knew one false move and there would more chaos.

The Windbloom nobles had stopped fighting each other and the people, especially after Mashiro signed a contract on television promising to start a parliament house. Elections would be held in three months for the common people. That seemed to take all the fight out of them and the people had rejoiced. The country was going to have to change and so far the thinking was that it would become a constitutional monarchy. Natsuki wondered if they would have to go beyond that.

"I should've listened to you in the first place," Mashiro said to Natsuki. They were standing outside of the main building of Garderobe. She had pulled Natsuki from dinner to speak with her alone, apparently unable to admit that the pale woman seemed to know what she was doing in front of people.

"Should I say I told you so?" Natsuki asked, not sure why they needed to have this little talk. She still had things to do and she wanted to do them as soon as possible. She also had little desire to share space with Mashiro unless it was absolutely necessary.

"You seem grouchy."

"You have no idea," Natsuki remarked, even though she was beginning to feel better because things were calming down. Still, she was on edge to a degree. She wanted something, but she could not pin down what it was beyond needing her daughter back anyway.

"I would've thought that you'd be happier since a lot of people are making out like you saved the world."

The older woman snorted and emerald eyes rolled. "You don't know me well or what I did or what I went through." _Never mind what I almost lost in all this mess_. She could not wait to hold her daughter again, but she and Shizuru had not discussed when she would come home. Hell, they had not discussed home. _We might need to talk_.

Mashiro nodded. "You're right. I don't know you, but I'd like that to change."

Natsuki arched an eyebrow. "You'd like what to change?"

"I'd like to know you and I'd like you to know me. I'd like you to be my top advisor."

Emerald eyes went wide now. "You want me to be an advisor? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm surrounded by yes-men all the time. There are the nobles that want my favor, businessmen who want my favor, and so many others. I don't trust them. The only counsel that I do trust comes from Arika and she doesn't know what it's like to rule a country. Hell, at this point I've realized, I don't know what it's like to rule a country." Mashiro threw her hands up.

"Then that makes three of us. Most things in life are just common sense." Of course, if common sense were common, the world would be in much better shape.

"Still, I need someone to give me sound advice. How about this: I have to meet with representatives for the people from the provinces to just get an idea of what they want from me, if they even still want me. I want someone who will tell me the truth about what they think and what I should do. I trust you to do this."

Natsuki grunted and was seriously about to suggest that Shizuru would be a better choice. Shizuru would jump at a chance to help her country, but she was still very much injured. Yohko-sensei made it very clear that Shizuru was to stay in bed. Of course, the trick was getting Shizuru to listen to that advice.

Since she could not nominate her wife, she figured she would have to do it. She could not take the chance of Mashiro regressing, even for a moment, and ruining all of their hard work. One false move could have them back at war and she was not sure if they would be able to stop a second civil war. _I have to do this. It's practically my job. … Well, former job_.

"I'll do it. Not like I have anything better to do," the Second Column said with a shrug.

Mashiro smiled. "Great. I feel really confident about things now. Thank you so much."

Natsuki waved her off and the Queen left the area. Sighing, the pale woman shook her head. She took a moment to stare at the dark sky, sprinkled with diamonds that reminded her of the gems in her life. She had been fired as principal, was probably going to be ordered to step down as Second Column, and more than half of her colleagues probably would not trust her once the sun came up, but that was all right. She was alive, as was Shizuru, and soon they would have their daughter back. Everything else could be sorted out eventually.

"Nice night out," Miss Maria commented as she stepped out of the shadows. She stood next to Natsuki, almost touching, but not quite.

"I suppose it could be worse. Bullets aren't echoing through the night any more, so yes, that is nice," Natsuki remarked. Of course, it would be better if she had a clue where she and her family would live once this was completely over, but she would take what she could get.

"I was speaking with the Council," Miss Maria reported in her normal tone.

Natsuki expected some kind of Pavlovian response at those words, as if she would snap to attention automatically or feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. Instead, she felt nothing. The Council did not even rate in her mind anymore. She was able to let go of her job as principal as far as administration went. She was able to let the Otome go beyond what she was doing right now. She was not an Otome; she was not the principal.

She was saddened by the realization, though. _I actually liked my job. I liked being principal_. Knowing that she needed to explore that train of thought in more depth, she stored it away in her head for later. Right now, she needed to pay attention to Miss Maria to help conclude their strained business.

"What did the Council say?" Not that Natsuki cared since if was unlikely that she would be given her job back.

"Well, they were upset that I had disobeyed their orders, but then were in a rush to give me credit for everything that brought the trouble here to an end," Miss Maria answered.

Natsuki sucked her teeth. "Of course, because no way a Reactionary like me could have anything to do with what happened."

"Well, I set them straight on what happened after having to keep the other Columns from tearing into them."

"It was phone conference with you and the Columns without me." _I guess my Second Column status is gone, too_.

"Yes, but Shizuru-san was there," Miss Maria said to make her feel better. It did not.

"All right, so what happened?"

"We made it clear that it was your leadership that brought us victory against the rebels, it was your idea that helped get Cardair under control, and your experience bringing Windbloom back together. They were surprised, of course."

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "I bet they were."

She knew that the Council was one stupid move from making matters in Cardair worse, even though the revolution had stopped. While the empire could not settle its government beyond accepting Kazuya back, the Council and Cardairian nobles were playing around with the idea of leaving the Otome there as an insurance policy to keep the masses at bay. Kazuya had ordered out all foreign Otome, but they were slow in going. Natsuki was not sure what they were going to do about that and she doubted they would take her opinion on the matter.

"The Council said they would reconsider reinstating your position. I'm sure they'll call you personally to give you your job back. You deserve it," the ancient Otome stated.

The laughter that Natsuki answered with shocked Miss Maria, and maybe shocked her a little too. "They'll personally give me my job back, so I can put up with everyone's suspicions, continue to be second-guessed, and looked at as if I'm going to betray the world at any moment? Fuck that!"

Now, Miss Maria was totally aghast, grimacing with wide eyes. "Natsuki –"

"What? You thought I'd fucking jump for joy over this? I'd rather they apologize and send me on my way. Hell, I'd rather they tell me to kiss their asses than pretend to do me such a grand favor. I've dedicated almost fifteen years of my life here and I was treated like the enemy over an idea, an idea that I still believe in and probably will always believe in. Why would I want to come back into something that is very clear that I was to be a drone or eliminated? No, not interested in being a drone."

"Surely you don't mean that. You're not a drone and you could do so much good here, as you have done," Miss Maria argued.

Natsuki scoffed. "I'm not blind and I'm not stupid, so don't try to con me with sweet talk. I can do good anywhere on the planet and probably be treated a hell of a lot better. Nothing the Council ever says to me would make me take this job again."

"So, you're going to end your legacy with you being fired? That's insanity. It leaves a huge blight on your record."

"Not if history remembers it correctly." She had done everything in her power to bring respect, honor, and integrity to her position. She had introduced new operating systems to the Otome Program, brought several new countries into the Program, and sponsored more students into Garderobe than any principal before her. All of that only to be fired because of her political beliefs that had not appeared anywhere in her policies or interfered with her duty.

"Do you really think the Council will let it be remembered correctly?"

Natsuki smiled. "No, but you'll be there to set the record straight."

Miss Maria's face twitched, as if she might smile. "It's the least I can do. I'm sorry for actually helping make it virtually impossible for you to come back. I was the one that took your last shred of leadership."

"But, you helped me get it back. It's all right." It was only all right because things worked out. She still felt some sting because she always thought that Miss Maria had her back despite always scolding her. Now, she was not sure what to make of the older Otome and she did not want to waste energy trying.

"I betrayed you. I have to admit that. I'm sorry I let things come to that. What are you going to do without being principal? I doubt you'll remain an Otome."

"I don't have my powers any more, anyway. Even if Yohko figures out how to restore them, you're right. I wouldn't remain an Otome. I don't know what I'll do, but I won't be staying here. Shizuru doesn't have her powers anymore either, so maybe she's ready for us to expand our family and settle down somewhere."

"Well, I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do. I will miss you, Natsuki. You've been an amazing student to watch grow up into an extraordinary woman."

Natsuki only shrugged. Miss Maria shook her hand and returned inside. She allowed the idea that she would never again make a decision about Garderobe sink in. Her stomach trembled and she decided to stop thinking about it. She returned inside to finish her dinner, which she suddenly could not taste anymore. She then went "home."

She and Shizuru were staying in the "deputy headmistress" suite. The apartment was relatively untouched by the attacks. Students had been kind enough to clean it. Shizuru was in bed, as she was supposed to be, and sleeping, just as Natsuki had tried to tell her to do while she left to get her own food almost an hour ago. Anh had been there then, trying to get Shizuru to eat some soup and had undoubtedly been the person to take Shizuru to that Columns phone conference with the Council.

Natsuki showered and put on some pajamas before climbing into bed. She was careful about touching Shizuru, even though the Third Column wanted to cuddle even when she was in the infirmary. In fact, she moved closer to Natsuki as soon as she was down.

"Shizuru, you have to be careful. Yohko-sensei said you're still ready banged up and you could rip some stitches. You don't have the nanomachines anymore to heal you quickly," Natsuki reminded her wife.

"I just want to be close, not ride you like there's tomorrow," Shizuru teased, earning a hot blush from her wife.

"You won't be doing that for a while."

Shizuru giggled. "That'll make it all the more sweet when I can. How are you doing, hero of the hour? Did Miss Maria tell you about the meeting?"

"She did."

"Will you accept the job again?" the older woman asked, even though she knew the answer.

Natsuki scoffed. "To hell with them. Besides, I don't have Otome powers anymore and Yohko said she can't restore them. Whatever the hell those anti-Otome bullets do, it's forever right now."

"Well, I am in the same boat as Natsuki."

"It'll be all right. You just concentrate on healing."

"And what will you do?"

"Aside from caring for you and never letting Spooky go when she finally comes home, I'll figure something out. Oh, I guess I'll have to find us a home since we can't stay here once we officially quit."

"What about the job that Mashiro offered you?"

Natsuki blinked. "How do you know about it?"

"Arika. She wants you to take it. She knows that Mashiro needs help and you can provide it. Actually, I want you to take it, too. Please, help the Queen become a better leader because I want my country to survive."

Natsuki sighed and then chuckled. "Well, because you said please. But, I'm not going to do this forever."

"What does Natsuki want to do?"

A pale forehead wrinkled as she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "I want to be a principal."

Shizuru giggled. "You just said to hell with the Council because you don't want the job."

"Not here, no, but I realize that I like running a school and making a difference in girls' lives. I think I want to open a school."

A bright smile settled onto Shizuru's face. "That sounds wonderful. I would love to help Natsuki as her assistant principal."

"Of course," Natsuki laughed. "But, if I do open a school, I think I'd rather do it in Saxas. So many girls need educations and just general self-esteem there. They need to realize they can do so many things that just aren't open to them. They need positive female role models."

"You've already sold me, beloved, if this is really what you want to do. I will stay by your side."

Natsuki stared at her wife. "You don't mind moving away from your family all the way to Saxas?"

Shizuru pushed herself to kiss her spouse on the lips. "You and Junior are my family and there are ways to see my parents and sister. I want to help you with your school. It sounds fun."

"Fun? We'll see. We can talk more about it when you're at a hundred percent. But, I do have land in Saxas and a big house that could be the start of a school."

"Natsuki has been holding out on me. Land in Saxas?"

"Well, technically it's my mother's land, but she gave it to me a while ago in an attempt to bribe me back home. She thought all I wanted was a little autonomy and that's why I wasn't coming home so often. Of course, she didn't know about you at the time. We could have a nice house with a big room for Spooky and more." Her fingers brushed across Shizuru's tender and healing abdomen.

"Oh, Natsuki has plans for a big family?"

"Well, we have to get at least one in there soon. Yohko-sensei plans to leave and, while she has the knowledge, she can't take the lab with her."

"Then I must heal quickly because I long to carry Natsuki's baby and I have no more nanomachines to consider."

"It seems some good came out of this then. We've finally been forced to move on with our lives. I'm actually happy now to move forward."

Shizuru smiled and gave Natsuki a sweet kiss. She was quite happy to move toward, too. She could not wait for their lives to begin anew. She fell asleep and dreamed of what their school would be like, life in Saxas, and having a larger family.

-8-8-8-8-

Natsuki stood behind Mashiro, who was seated at the head of a large conference table. At the table and around the room that was once a bank and now one of the few things not rubble, were representatives from all around the country. Some were nobles, others average people, and all equals at the moment because that was the only way that things would work, Natsuki insisted.

"Call to order!" the former principal barked, getting everyone's attention. "Now, we're all come together to discuss how to mend Windbloom. What's the first matter at hand?"

"How about halting some of the absolutism in the kingdom? We would like to have laws govern this country, laws that apply to everyone."

Mashiro glanced up at Natsuki, who nodded. Laws only worked when they applied to everyone, after all. That was the foundation of an equal and just society.

"We can definitely do that. Once the parliament is created, they can draft a formal document for me to sign. And, just so everyone knows, this is on record," Mashiro stated, pointing to a recording device in front of her.

"Will there be copies made for everyone?"

"You can get a copy before you leave," she assured them. "What else?"

"We need to make sure there are basic rights we all have, so we don't have to worry about being arrested for insulting a noble or worse." There was no mystery as to who that was directed to.

Mashiro nodded. "Again, this is something that the parliament will handle and I will approve."

"Does this mean you plan to keep power in the government?"

"Yes," Mashiro said sharply and her eyes turned hard. Natsuki leaned down to whisper in her ear to explain why that was necessary before she allowed her attitude to do the talking and say the wrong thing. "This whole meeting has to do with compromising to get the country back together. If you're here to try to wrestle power away from the existing government and topple the monarchy, it only puts us back into chaos. Is that what we want?" The deafening silence was a good answer. "Now, next issue."

"While I appreciate your dedication to fixing a country you helped destroy, I have to point out that no matter what we bring up here today to you doesn't matter because you're not the actual queen. The rules of succession are very clear in Windbloom. At this point, before we can really get anything going, we need to find the real queen. So, how about suggestions on that?"

Mashiro gulped as she felt her heart break. "Oh, well, we don't know for sure …" She glanced up at Natsuki.

"Hi, everyone, I used to the Principal of Garderobe and I've been in contact with the Grand Duke of Artai. He's agreed to come to Windbloom to sort out this matter. He will tell you if the Queen is his half-sister. They've both agreed to blood testing," Natsuki explained.

"Can there be witnesses?"

"An outside lab will conduct the testing, but there can be witnesses for the blood drawing," Natsuki answered.

"And if she's not the Queen?"

"We'll be searching for the true Queen as soon as we put together all of the information we have if that is the case," Natsuki said, not wanting to admit that they did not have much. But, she had her suspicions, aided in the fact that Shizuru had her suspicions.

"We should pick this up when that is straightened out."

Natsuki could not argue that and Mashiro did not argue. The meeting was adjourned after they all agreed to do their best maintain the peace while the government was in limbo. Mashiro sighed as the place emptied out.

"You knew that was coming, but it still hurt, huh?" Natsuki asked, even though she knew the answer for that.

Mashiro nodded. "What will I do if I'm not queen? Where will I go?"

"Don't let that bother you right now. It's a big world out there and you're young. You'll find tons of things you like and you're good at. You'll have Arika by your side and that'll make it even better. One day, you'll find yourself in a home, somewhere you probably least suspected." After all, she never thought that she would be looking forward to returning to Saxas, but that would become home one day soon.

"Do you think Arika will stay with me?" The hope in her eyes was enough to put a smile on Natsuki's face.

"Of course, you're her home."

Mashiro smiled. "She's my home, too."

"Then things will work out fine."

Mashiro smiled because she believed Natsuki. They stood up and exited the building, heading home, heading to those who loved him, despite their faults.

-8-8-8-8-

The Grand Duke of Artai was at Garderobe for less than a day. He was a rather personable man, but clearly in a rush to get back home. He gave Natsuki a huge file of things that he found his brother had hidden in his home, which included items that he had leaked to rebels in Windbloom. He had opted to handle his brother after finding out about the Marquis' actions in sending men to Windbloom and actively instigating what could have easily been an international incident.

Natsuki and her usual crew went through the file while the Grand Duke had his blood drawn. Before he left, he assured Mashiro of one thing and that was there was no way in Hell that he would treat family poorly, so if she happened to be his sister, then he would be there for her. She looked ready to burst into tears and when he hugged her, she did cry just a little. Everyone pretended not to see.

"What do you think is in these files? Things about me that I never knew?" Mashiro asked as she watched Natsuki, Shizuru, Anh, Shiho, Mahya, Mai, Mikoto, Nao, Chie, and Haruka go through the documents that the Grand Duke left with them.

"Things you don't need to know. You are yourself," Haruka stated.

The others nodded to that piece of wisdom. The files only told them about a baby that Mashiro did not know anything about, even the name of the infant. Mashiro was already having a severe identity crisis and did not need to add to that.

"But … I have family now, right?" Mashiro asked.

"Blood relatives. Family is a different concept. Besides, don't get too drawn in yet. You have to see the results of the blood tests," Chie pointed out.

Mashiro nodded and left the group to work. She stood just a few feet away, though. Anxiety clouded her eyes, but she did not say anything as the crew poured through the Artai files and then moved onto another pile.

Natsuki and her group also got information and pictures from nobles around Windbloom that featured the late King's baby girl. As they studied it, they could not shake the feeling that the six-month old baby looked familiar. Arika was the one that said it aloud.

"That looks like Nina!" she proclaimed.

"Nina's from Artai, though," Nao pointed out.

"That might actually add to the idea that it's Nina. After all, what made the nobles go to Artai in the firs place and end up taking Mashiro? Do you think Yohko-sensei could use her computers to age the baby up and maybe guess what she might look like?" Chie asked.

"I'll ask her. Nobody talk about it being Nina, though. I don't want to color her perception of things." Natsuki got up to take one picture to Yohko, who was busy with the freshly drawn blood, but she did take the picture.

"Hey, this is a baby book that belonged to the Queen," Anh said, holding up her bounty. She flipped it open. "There's a lock of baby hair in here! Wait, what noble took the Queen's baby book?" she wondered with a wrinkled brow and slight grimace.

"Who cares! A lock of hair is excellent because we'll be able to compare it to whoever we find," Natsuki stated.

"Provided that's actually the baby's hair and some weird noble didn't replace it with their own hair or their own baby's hair," Shiho said and Natsuki's face fell.

"Don't despair, Natsuki. It could be the queen's baby's hair and we should consider that. I mean, there are pictures of the queen's baby in it and this might be the queen's handwriting," Anh pointed out.

Natsuki smiled and they decided that they would try Nina first. That decision was made after Yohko gave them the picture of the aged-up baby and it looked like Nina with different hair. Finding Nina was not something that they looked forward to since she dropped off the face of Earl years ago.

"Let's offer a reward for her," Nao suggested.

"With what money?" Natsuki countered.

"Do we really have to waste our time doing this? Windbloom needs to search for their own queen," Shiho said.

"Because that worked out so well for them the last time," Chie remarked.

"So, what do we do?" Mai asked.

"How about we have Windbloom do the foot work after we tell them that they have to find Nina?" Anh suggested. "It would be hard to bungle that, right?"

They all agreed with that. So, they left things in the hands of Windbloom and moved to tie up the rest of the mess that awaited them. All of their prisoners did been questioned. They would leave it to Garderobe to determine what to do with the scientists, who gave up a lot of information on how they built their weapons and why, but not who paid them. The rebels and Lord Naplei's men would be dealt with by Windbloom. Everybody else could get back to their lives now.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru could stand by the time her family returned with Shinobu. Both her daughter and her sister practically tackled her. Natsuki helped keep her on her feet. Shinobu then set her sights on her other mother and climbed up Natsuki to be in her arms.

"Missed you, Momma, Kaa-san!" Shinobu cried. Shizuru did the same and Natsuki held them both.

"Let's go home," Dante declared.

They passed through a Windbloom that was slowly being rebuilt, but still had more than enough scars of war. The reconstruction would pick up once the government settled, but the Queen was still MIA. The Viola family started doing what they could in their county immediately. Shizuru was included in that since the small Kruger family would be staying in the manor house.

Natsuki also made arrangements for her property in Saxas to be used for school grounds. Her brothers would supervise things from the ground, but she and Shizuru planned everything out, including the design of the school. Natsuki did not want to tell her parents; she thought it would be a nice surprise for them when her family moved to Saxas.

Beyond that, Natsuki worked with the Viola family until one day she was summoned to the palace. She entered and was escorted to the throne room to find Nina Wang speaking with Mashiro and Arika. Mashiro smiled when she saw Natsuki and waved her over.

"Greetings, your Highnesses?" Natsuki guessed.

Mashiro smiled again. "You were right. Nina is the proper queen. Her DNA matched the hair in the book. I was a match to the Grand Duke. He offered me a title and land in his country," she explained. She seemed pleased with that. The idea of having family seemed to sit better with her than the idea of being a queen.

"That's great," Natsuki said with a smile of her own and Mashiro seemed so happy.

"Yes, but I didn't want to leave Windbloom. I'm a child of this country, even if I'm not a citizen by blood," Mashiro said, bouncing on her heels.

"There's good news here, I'm sure," Natsuki said.

"There is." Nina stepped over. "First off, I don't know a thing about being a queen, but Mashiro-sama tells me you're a top advisor, Principal, and also unemployed, so I was hoping that you'd help me."

"I'm surprised you went for this," Natsuki said. She had never thought that stoic, loner Nina would be interested in ruling a country. Of course, the same could have been said of her when she was younger and then suddenly ended up being the principal of Garderobe.

Nina frowned. "A few years ago, you'd have been right. But, I'm here now. Will you help me be a fair and just ruler?"

Natsuki shrugged. "I'd love to. I hope I live up to your expectations."

"Good. And, you were recommended for this job by our new Duchess of Summerfield," Nina smiled, putting a hand on Mashiro's shoulder.

Natsuki's mouth fell open. The title was supposed to be held for a member of the Windbloom royal family. Nina had accepted Mashiro as a family member. They both beamed from that. They needed the support. Natsuki could only hope that they gave each other the right type of support and that Nina's association with Mashiro did not undermine her authority.

"We're both orphans of this world. We've decided to be there for each other," Nina explained.

Natsuki nodded and decided against inquiring what happened to Nina's father. She would later find out that Sergay Wang had succumb to his injuries from the war years ago. He had passed and Nina had been living in the cabin on her own for months. She still had her Otome powers, but did not feel the need to tell anyone beyond those closest to her.

Nina was filled in on her history as best anyone could. She decided to continue going by the name Nina, but accepted her former family name to show her connection to the country and acceptance of the monarchy. Mashiro was able to also keep her name, even though she was also filled in on her history. They most took Haruka's advice with the new information and decided that they were themselves, but it was nice to know more about themselves.

"Well, let's rebuild the country," Arika proclaimed with the cheer they expected of her. They all agreed and she threw her arms around all of them.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the end (with the epilogue).


	20. School's out

I don't own these characters; Sunrise does. I do own Shinobu, Natsuki's brothers and father, Daphne Voila, Dante Voila, and Shizue Viola.

20: School's out

Natsuki and her family spent a year in Windbloom while waiting for work to be finished on their home in Saxas. In that time they saw the rebirth of the capital city and country. They witnessed the birth of the new parliament house and first elections in Windbloom history. Queen Nina Blan de Windbloom (it had taken a lot to get her to change her last name and nothing would get her to change her first) felt like a constitutional monarchy with a representative government was a good way to go since she had absolutely no experience ruling a country and the last group she "led" consisted of fourteen-year-olds; and she did not think that she did that well in hindsight.

Nina was much more liberal compared to Mashiro and definitely more willing to listen. Of course, that had to do with a number of factors, such as the fact that she had not grown up privileged, even though she had been adopted by a rather well off family, and she definitely did not feel entitled just because she was queen. She wanted to do things for everyone, but especially the lower classes. She especially trusted Natsuki's advice and didn't argue on everything, unless she felt strongly on it. Much of the time when she did put a fight, Natsuki even conceded to her and so far, it worked well.

The royal "court," if it could be called that since Nina did not let many nobles close to her, agreed that Nina was growing much as she got more comfortable with her position. She slowly came to understand what she needed to do and how she could get things done. By the end of the year, Natsuki liked to step back and just watch Nina work. She only stepped in when Nina looked like she was about let her temper get the better of her, especially when dealing with parliament members.

The parliament had been set up to speak for the people. They could draft and propose legislation, but for it to be official, the Queen had to approve it. Of course, the system had also been set up that they could overturn the Queen with a two-thirds majority. Nina liked that because she honestly believed a large group of people had to have a better understanding of what was better for the country … unless her trusted advisors said otherwise.

Natsuki had been the first advisor, but that number had grown to eight. There was one from each of the provinces, so that everything was balanced and fair. Natsuki doubted her position would be filled as she moved on. Dante was an advisor, though, so Natsuki felt like Nina was in good, if not annoying hands. Dante was not the only member of the Viola family that got involved in government.

Daphne had gone out and gotten herself elected into Parliament. Now, to keep the nobles involved in the government and try to keep things equal, each noble house was supposed to send representatives to the Senate house. That was to be the nobles legislative body in government to allow them a voice. They did pretty much the same thing as Parliament, but with less people and no open elections. The two houses could overrule each other with two-third majorities or the monarch stepping in. But, Daphne was not in the Senate; her mother was forced to represent the family there now that Shizuru was leaving. Daphne was in the people's house, the commoners, in the trenches, as they liked to call it. She had been voted into Parliament to represent her county along with one other person.

Representation in Parliament was broken into counties in each province, with each county getting at least one representative, and also by population. The higher the population, the more representatives because most agreed that was fair. If it did not work out, there were always plans to change it, but for now the county would work with that setup. They were still playing around with how elections and representation worked, but they were definitely there to stay.

In the Senate, it was only one representative for each noble family, no matter the size of the family or how wealthy the family was or how much land they owned. The nobles had fought tooth and nail to get that amount of representation in the government. Just like the Parliament, the way that the Senate worked was going to be subject to changes and transformations as they played around to see what worked.

As soon as the government was up and running, there were proposals to limit the monarch's powers were drawn up and on the Queen's desk. Nina signed some, but not all suggestions, as well as legislation that made everyone subject to the laws of the country. A constitution was drafted and passed, but was still being tweaked. They also passed a bill of rights listing fifteen basic rights that every citizen of Windbloom now enjoyed.

Nina had left the rebel captives to the under-used court system and found her pet-project when not governing the country. She wanted to clean up the courts, wanted to organize it, and get officers of the court accustomed to using the law instead of making stuff up as they went along, which had been the ways of Windbloom in the past. Of course, it would get better when she and the legislature were not making up things as they went along.

Nina ended up pardoning a lot of rebels, as long as there was no evidence of them picking up arms. Lord Napolei had a different fate, along with his men. Because of his status and his goals, she branded them all traitors. They wanted the crown while the rebels wanted freedom. She just could not excuse the rebels that did not mind killing people for their freedom. She found out the Artai rebels, including the Marquis, had been given prison sentences in Artai by the Grand Duke and the Marquis had been stripped of his title. She and the Grand Duke were trying to cultivate a relationship between their two countries, as well, with Natsuki and Mashiro asking as diplomats.

The so-called Mad Scientists had been detained by Garderobe and were still in the school's custody. The school was not very open with what they were doing with the scientists, but Natsuki got some leaked information to her because she still had friends on the inside. Of course, those friends did not plan on being there for long. But, she did not like what she was hearing for some of the scientists. They had been put to work by the school, which she understood, but she did not agree with the decision. She doubted that she would have done that as principal, but Headmistress Laula Bianchi did. She was sure that the Council had something to do with that decision.

The Council more than likely were in a panic over the fact that last year they lost over half of their Otome, either through death, power lose, or just walking away. They had also lost Yohko and her assistants. Some students had left, too. The Otome program was hurting and there were still bad feelings about it. Natsuki was not sure if they would recover, but she was certain that they were would survive.

They were helping cause all kinds of unrest in Cardair still. The people there were not happy with the Otome presence, but the Otome refused to leave because they still had Masters there. The people were trying to drive the Masters out. Kazuya was not sure what to do considering he was a Master and the love of his life was an Otome, but he had done something that Natsuki thought showed he would be able to keep Cardair alive in some form. He had expelled the nobles and their Otome that were pushing to punish people and whatever Otome were left, he had them out cleaning up the rubble that was left from the failed revolution.

Kazuya had expressed some concern to Nina as they tried to build a bond between their countries as well. He wanted to find out how she was managing to heal the wounds of Windbloom to try to apply some of it to Cardair. He worried that the empire might split up because he felt like there was always the underlying tension of revolution and civil war, even as he tried to create new laws and rebuild the country. He really wanted to know how she dealt with having Otome in her country and how the people dealt with it.

Even with the Otome helping, the people of Cardair were still uneasy about them. There were rallies and protests about their presence. There were other countries starting to have the same. The Otome Council was aware of this, which was one of the reasons they were actually trying to keep a presence in Cardair. There was a need to show the people that the Otome were there to help, if only to help the program stay alive.

Honestly, she was not worrying about the Otome program. She had not thought about them much in the year since she and Shizuru had left. There were only a couple of times when they registered and one of those times was when she met with Yohko. The meeting was recent, right before the scientist left. Yohko gave them what they needed to expand their family. Thinking of their family, Natsuki reached over and put her hand on Shizuru's swollen abdomen.

"How are you feeling?" Natsuki asked her wife. The pale woman was holding a sleeping Shinobu, who was rocked to sleep by the movement of the carriage.

Shizuru gave her a peaceful smile. Pregnancy definitely agreed with Shizuru much more than it did with Natsuki. Of course, the fact that Shizuru did not have nanomachines to worry about and therefore was not on a bunch of medication that did not agree with her. Morning sickness had been her biggest problem the first three months and lately she could not stand the smell of certain things, but she took it all in stride, knowing that things could have been worse.

"I am well," Shizuru replied.

"How's my little Keiko doing?" Natsuki rubbed Shizuru's stomach.

"Fine, although my mother might've been right about traveling so late in my pregnancy. Keiko's moving around so much," Shizuru answered and she shifted in her seat a bit. She loved it when Keiko rolled, but the carriage ride took it beyond what she was used to.

Natsuki smiled and caressed Shinobu's back to help keep her asleep. "I remember when this one started moving. It felt so weird."

The older woman chuckled a little. "I like it."

"I know you do. I like being on the outside to do this." Natsuki rubbed her spouse's large belly again and grinned. Shizuru only smiled.

The carriage turned and passed through gates onto their estate. Shizuru shifted for a better look out of the window. Her eyes shined as she took in their land, which stretched further than she could see, complete with a driveway lined with tall trees, shading the path. Natsuki smiled when she saw her wife's eyes roaming.

"It's even better when you can see it all. You'll love it, I promise. Spooky and Keiko, too," Natsuki assured her.

"I'm sure we will," Shizuru replied.

As they came up to the "manor house," as Natsuki called it, Shizuru found it was more like a palace. A small palace, but it was a palace nonetheless. She supposed that was only right for a princess. The coloring reminded her of the desert that was her home and she knew that had been done on purpose. She reached over and took Natsuki's hand.

"I love it already," she whispered and Natsuki smiled brightly.

The carriage rounded a large fountain before coming to the front of the house. Surprisingly, the Kruger family was waiting just outside the main doors; the entire Kruger family. Shinobu woke up as soon as the coach stopped and she saw her grandparents as soon as her eyes came into focus. Her face lit up.

"Nana! Grandpa!" the toddler grinned as Natsuki opened the coach door. She knew her daughter would not have been able to wait for the valet to do it.

"Oh, our little princess!" Saeko smiled as Shinobu hugged her around the legs and then hugged King Ryo. While the behavior was far from appropriate, her grandparents gave her a pass. Natsuki wondered why that was since she never would have been able to get away with that right in front of them. But, she heard been told by many people that parents and grandparents were two completely different entities.

Natsuki helped Shizuru out of the carriage because she could not let anyone, even someone being paid to, assist her pregnant wife while she was there. As soon as she was out of the coach, Queen Saeko was at Shizuru's elbow. Natsuki watched in disbelief as her mother led her wife into their new home.

"Since when does Mom get along with Shizuru? Not that I'm complaining," Natsuki commented, speaking to her brothers with a surprised, but pleased smile.

"Shizuru's pregnant," Kenta, Natsuki's older brother by a year, said with a shrug.

"I didn't know that meant anything, but whatever works." She could not recall her mother being nice to Nadia, her eldest brother's wife, even when she was pregnant. In fact, Nadia and Shuichi looked ready to say something to back her up, but decided against it. She dismissed that idea when she realized that Kenta should not even be in the country. "And, what the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Windbloom with Nao?" Natsuki asked.

Kenta only laughed and pointed to the doorway as a familiar redhead stepped out. Natsuki's mouth fell open while Nao smirked. Nao approached, pausing only to hug Shinobu.

"So, I picked my room out already," the redhead grinned.

"What? You're not staying here!" Natsuki barked, pointing to her perfect home that was made that way specifically for her family.

Nao scoffed. "Totally am. I handed in my GEM and told the Otome Council to go fuck itself, in those exact words. No way in Hell I'm going back to Artai with the way that place is run. It has a culture of deceit and backstabbing, and I say that with the upmost respect for your friendship with the Grand Duke. Besides, you need a staff for your school and Kenta's here." She took Kenta's hand.

"So, stay with Kenta," Natsuki declared.

"I am," Nao said and Kenta grinned.

Natsuki had to take a moment before she realized what they were trying to tell her. "What? No! This is my home! My family's home, not the Kruger bed and breakfast!"

"I am family!" Kenta declared with a grin.

Natsuki threw up her hands and looked to her other brothers for help. They only laughed, which she should have expected. She snorted and then marched into the house, not even bothering to greet her father or other brothers now. Shinobu ran after her mother. Natsuki decided to show her daughter around the property, even though it was Natsuki's first time there, too. But, she had seen blueprints, photos, and every crack of the place on virtual tours.

There were the traditional three floors found in all palaces of Saxas. There were not nearly as many small rooms that would be in the traditional palace. She did not plan entertaining guests much and the guests she did plan to have would be close to her, so she did not want a bunch of small rooms or even a dozen large halls. She wanted the palace to feel almost like a house. So, she had only a section of the place set up in case she found herself hosting a social function beyond something for family.

She helped Shinobu pick a bedroom, which was not far from the master bedroom. Natsuki figured Shinobu would like that, but she would probably want to move when she got older. Natsuki remembered that as soon as she could leave her nursery, she wanted to move near her brothers. Her mother had not liked that and had moved her to her own wing, as if that would keep her brothers from influencing her.

Shinobu took a few minutes to inform her mother what she wanted to put in her room. Natsuki smiled all the way through the report. Shinobu dived onto her bed, which they would now be moving out as soon as possible because Shinobu did not like the canopy style.

"Momma, this whole room is mine?" Shinobu asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, baby, this whole room is yours," Natsuki assured her.

"And, my little sister is gonna have a room like this, too?"

"Eventually."

"And you and Kaa-san, too?"

"Yes, me and Kaa-san, too," Natsuki answered with a smile. She imagined how much fun Shizuru would have decorating their rooms.

Shinobu smiled and then hopped down off of the bed, dashing over to the double glass doors that led to her balcony. She could not open the door and Natsuki was going to make sure things stayed that way by having them secured now that she knew where Shinobu wanted to live. They stepped out into the hall to see the rest of the place and ran into a pleasant surprise.

"Ouji-sama!" Ran and Suzume, Natsuki's most faithful servants from her parents' home, cried as they stood before Natsuki. They bowed while Shinobu took a step back.

Natsuki grinned. "Ran, Suzume, what are you doing here?"

"Our very gracious majesties have allowed us to move here to serve you in your home and serve your family!" Ran reported with a grin and Suzume nodded eagerly.

"That's great. I look forward to having you both here. It'll be wonderful to see you again," Natsuki said and the maids nodded again. "Shinobu, meet Momma's friends, Ran and Suzume."

"Oh, my god, ouji-sama, you have a daughter!" Suzume squealed. Natsuki was not surprised that the pair did not know. She could only wonder where they worked when she was not at the royal palace. They were not privy to much information.

"Yeah, this is my daughter, Shinobu. I want to show her around," Natsuki told them.

"Oh! Go ahead, ouji-sama! We just wanted you to know we're here if you need anything," Ran declared.

Natsuki smiled and nodded before they were on their way. Mother and daughter had to go see the dozens of other great sights of their home. There was an indoor and outdoor pool, a skate park, a garden with a greenhouse, a playground, an arcade, and other stuff that they did not have time to see.

She and Shinobu did not see Shizuru until it was dinnertime. Saeko had arranged for the meal, but she had thankfully consulted Kenta to find out the small family's tastes. Natsuki hoped that they did not treat it like a formal dinner. She pulled out Shizuru's chair for her and helped Shinobu into a seat between them.

"Hey, Princess, how about you come sit by your grandparents?" Saeko proposed with a smile.

Shinobu looked at her parents, pleading with her eyes. They smiled and Natsuki helped the child into a chair by her parents. Saeko and Ryo helped situate Shinobu as Natsuki returned to her seat.

"Did you see a lot of the house?" Natsuki asked her wife.

"Some, but I tired so quickly and your mother insisted I lie down for a while. I think I needed it. What I was able to see was very lovely," Shizuru answered with a small smile.

Natsuki preened and then turned to her mother. "Thanks for taking care of Shizuru."

Saeko smiled. "It was no trouble. So, Natsuki, your brothers said you're opening a school on the grounds."

"Yeah, We're going to go look at the building and everything tomorrow. Do you want to come?" Natsuki offered. Since her mother was being nice, she figured she might as well return the favor.

"By 'we' I hope you don't also mean Shizuru. She should be relaxing. You don't want our next granddaughter coming on early," Saeko commented with a smile that was directed at Shizuru.

Natsuki now understood why her mother was being nice to Shizuru. Saeko was waiting for another grandchild, a granddaughter more specifically. Their family had been very light on girls before Shinobu's arrival and Natsuki was not sure if her mother even considered her a girl anymore, so it was understandable that Saeko would like to have more granddaughters. She was hoping that she could turn someone into a princess.

"I want to see the school. I'm assuming it's grand," Shizuru said.

"You'll love it," Hiroshi assured his sister-in-law.

"We made sure all of the facilities are up to shape and everything," Kenta promised.

"We followed your idea to the letter," Hayate stated.

"What are you going to do at this school, anyway?" Ryo inquired.

"We'll be educating girls ages twelve to seventeen in a variety of subjects, most of which aren't offered to girls here. I want to prepare girls for universities, careers out in the world, and to show the potential of girls to Saxas at large," Natsuki boasted, knowing her parents would not approve, but she was too excited by the idea to care.

Ryo frowned. "You're trying to turn Saxas culture on its ear. The girls in Saxas are fine."

Natsuki smirked. "You say that like a man threatened by a female's abilities."

"Natsuki," Shizuru scolded her wife for taunting her father.

"Sorry, sorry. Sorry, Dad, but girls here aren't fine. Their futures are very limited, mostly to being housewives and mothers, which is great if that's what they chose, but they deserve to have a choice. We luckily lived through a situation where people were willing to kill and destroy other people for the chance to advance their lives. I don't want that for Saxas. I want everyone here to be able to advance themselves, starting with the girls," Natsuki explained.

"Natsuki, are you sure this is a good idea?" her mother asked.

"It's a brilliant idea! It'll be better for the country to have the girls educated and for them to realize their full potential. It'll help the country grow and it'll bring out new ideas, enterprises, and all sorts of good stuff," Natsuki promised. "Not to mention, it'll reduce crimes against women in this country, which is a damn good thing."

"We do not have a problem with crimes against women," her father almost bellowed, but caught himself with a glance at Shinobu.

"You don't want to believe we do because many go unreported or just not taken seriously, but we do and educating women and reducing their dependency on fathers and husbands is one way to reduce that huge problem," Natsuki stated.

It was clear that they were on the cusp of an argument. Shizuru reached over and took Natsuki's hand to calm her down. Saeko did the same to Ryo and it had the same effect.

"I don't like it," Ryo huffed.

"Dad, it's not about you liking it. What could it hurt? Every woman at this table is educated and they're fine," Hiroshi argued. Of course, the only women at the table were Natsuki, Shizuru, Nao, and Saeko. He, Koji, and Hayate had gotten divorced about a year ago, so they would probably never see their ex-wives again.

Ryo scowled, but he did not argue. He did not want to drive Natsuki away, especially when she was clearly willing to live in Saxas for her dream. She was now a few miles away rather than a few thousand miles away. He wanted to keep things like that, as did Saeko.

The subject of Natsuki's school was dropped, even though her brothers wanted to know more about it. They would just find out when they went with Natsuki tomorrow. Besides, they wanted to see the look on her face when she saw the "campus." They were certain that her eyes would fall out of her head when she saw her vision in real life.

-8-8-8-8-

The school was located on the opposite end of the woods that was on Natsuki's property, but was only a twenty-minute carriage ride away. Natsuki wanted the space between their work and home, so that the two remained separate spheres on their lives. Shizuru agreed with that and also thought some of the students would appreciate the woods. She had a feeling that Shinobu would appreciate the forest.

"Momma, can we walk around there?" Shinobu asked, pointing at all of the trees.

Natsuki smiled proudly. "Definitely. We can do more than walk."

Shizuru glared at her wife. "Not yet, you can't." She could already see Natsuki putting their daughter, who was not even four yet, on an ATV and they would ride around the forest.

Natsuki chuckled and decided that it would be in her best interest to remain quiet. Shinobu moved about the coach, wanting a good look at all of the greenery around them. She was not used to it, living in a desert most of her short life. Thankfully, they made it to the school before Shinobu trampled them.

They stepped out of the carriage to see the campus, which was spread out in case they needed to add more if the school grew. There were five buildings, the school proper, dorms, a gym, a cafeteria, and a library. There was a quad area for the students to lounge around in good weather with benches and some café tables along with a few trees for shade. Natsuki hoped that they would have reason to expand in the future, but she was certain that the campus was a good size for what she wanted to do. Shizuru was just awed by the entire sight. She took Natsuki's hand and smiled at the pale woman while Shinobu bolted around a few feet ahead of them.

"This is perfect," Shizuru whispered, unable to speak any louder.

"Yeah, it's magnificent," Natsuki concurred, sounding amazed.

"Go inside," Hiroshi pushed the couple. He and their brothers had ridden up on their dirt bikes. It was a much faster way to travel and Natsuki would have done the same if only she did not need to be close to Shizuru.

The pair did not need to be told more than that. They stepped inside the main school building and were in for a pleasant surprise. Standing in a small rest area were several of their friends, Mai, Mikoto, Haruka, Yukino, Chie, Aoi, Sara, and strangely Yukariko. The women all surrounded the couple, speaking at once. Shizuru was the first to speak back.

"Yukino, you look so good," Shizuru said and Yukino beamed.

"I was so worried about losing the baby weight, but it seemed to fall off on its own," Yukino replied with a smile. She had recently given birth to her and Haruka's first child. They hoped for more, but they had to wait to hear from Yohko.

"The same happened with Natsuki. Where is Hitomi?" Shizuru asked. That was the couple's daughter.

"She's actually with Natsuki's mother right now. The Queen was all too happy to watch her while we came here to surprise you," Yukino explained.

"Surprise us how? By just showing up?" Natsuki asked. Her mother watching their daughter did not surprise her because her mother seemed to be all about little girls.

"Well, meet some of your new staff," Mai said. "I'll be the chef, of course. Your cafeteria will be the envy of every school in the nation," she boasted with a grin.

"I wanna teach combat!" Mikoto volunteered.

"Hey, I wanna teach combat, you squirt!" Haruka complained.

Natsuki smiled. "Uh … don't get me wrong. I appreciate the help, but don't you all have jobs already?"

Chie shook her head. "All of us Otome either couldn't go back or quit. It was impossible for some of us to work for the Council after what they did to you. I damn sure wasn't following Headmistress Laula either."

"My final term is coming to a close. I should be free by the time you open your school. I was hoping you'd let me teach either global history or political science," Yukino said.

"You can do both. Yukariko-sensei, you quit the Otome?" Natsuki asked incredulously.

"I don't like the way they handled their situation with you or the fact that they're now trying to rewrite history and put Laula and Miss Maria as the master heroes. Thankfully, the pair won't allow it, but the way the Council is trying to smear your good name doesn't sit right with me," she explained.

Natsuki nodded. "Well, we can use all the help we can get, so I'm happy you all showed up and offered your help. I'll see about getting staff quarters' built or small homes if you want. There's a lot of land here and I wouldn't lament for a second if I had to use it all up for this."

"Happy to be working for you again, Kruger-san," Yukariko said with a grin.

"We're happy to have you all," Shizuru assured them with a smile.

"Now, we just have to figure out what it is everyone will be teaching or doing and get started on making some curriculum. There also the fact that more school staff has to be hired. I wouldn't mind us doing it as a committee since we're all going to be working here. I want things to go smoothly and I want us to be able to work together," Natsuki announced.

Everyone nodded and they talked while strolling around the school grounds to see what they were working with. At the end of the day, they all agreed to begin doing research on what went into regular school lessons as well as their own special elements that they wanted to add, like a mandatory self-defense course. They came up with a budget, too, which Natsuki and Shizuru were well versed in, as well as items that they would need to order.

Natsuki and Shizuru had their friends stay with them until Natsuki arranged for proper housing. Yukino and Haruka were the only ones that had to leave because Yukino did have to finish out her term as president of Aries, but the others just began living in the Kruger's manor house. The Krugers were happy to have them.

-8-8-8-8-

The first day of school involved a number of girls walking onto the campus for the first time. Natsuki and Shizuru watched the uniformed girls marching in from the window in the principal's office and they could not help smiling. In Shizuru's arms was their second daughter, Keiko.

Keiko was four months old and already showed signs of being a ball of energy because she always wanted to move. She was a chubby little thing, or as Natsuki non-diplomatically put it, she was "fat." She was close to Shizuru's complexion with emerald eyes that were sprinkled with bits of wine in them. Tawny hair went in every direction and angered every brush that the mothers had purchased because that hair would not lie down.

Shinobu was utterly fascinated by her new sister, but it seemed to be in a more studious manner than anything else. She had a million questions about Keiko and came up with a million new ones when the first million were answered. She poked Keiko as if trying to figure out what she was and if she was dangerous. She spent a lot of time staring at the baby. She did try to make sure Keiko did not hurt herself and she had pretended to read to the baby several times.

Other than being fascinated with her sister, Shinobu had found some outside interests and some inside ones. Her grandmother was so pleased when Shinobu showed some interest in "ladylike things." Natsuki was not surprised by that as she often pointed out that Shinobu was Shizuru's daughter. But, in secret, Natsuki and Shinobu had been out in the woods on an ATV and Shinobu loved it.

As far as their school went, it seemed very promising. They had a full staff, including several former Otome. Most of their students were poor Saxas girls and Natsuki was allowing them to come free of charge. Middle-class girls had to pay a small tuition. Upper class girls paid more and also international students paid more; those two things tended to go hand-in-hand. Despite the Otome Council trying to smear Natsuki's name, many people around the world knew about Natsuki and her stint as principal of Garderobe. They wanted their daughters educated by the former Headmistress of Garderobe and former Otome. The school would be a success as long as they put their all in it and everyone seemed more than willing to do that.

-8-8-8-8-

The end

Well, here we are again, the fourth story in the "Metal" series (as I like to call it) has come to a close. I would like to do one more, sort of like a prequel that shows how Natsuki and Shizuru got together. Unfortunately, I don't know anything from canon about their relationship when Natsuki was a coral student and things like that. If anyone could point me in the direction of something that could help, I would appreciate it. Take care, everyone. I'm returning to my padded cell.


End file.
